NC Minnesota News

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gave a raise to state employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R- East Gull Lake) to release a statement calling for the governor's emergency powers to come to an end. 

“The governor’s cavalier decision to give state workers a raise this July against the clear direction from the Senate has put a chilling effect on the cooperation between the Senate and governor. It’s time for the emergency powers to end," Gazelka said in a statement from the Minnesota State Republican Caucus. 

The state is seeing an all-time high record for unemployment, which makes it hard to justify giving state employees raises during this time. 

“The Walz administration would look very tone deaf if they interpreted this action as full ratification of the contract, even if they invent a legal framework to justify their decision," Gazelka said in his statement. "It’s impossible to justify asking the 650,000 Minnesotans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own to help shoulder the burden of the extra costs of this contract. In fact, there are 12 unemployed Minnesotans for every state employee who would receive a raise this July.”