NW Minnesota News

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka is criticizing Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove for sending out sample letters of support for Gov. Tim Walz’s statewide mask requirement.

“Using state resources to solicit support for the governor is at a minimum, a very poor decision and we are inquiring to see if there is a violation of state law or ethics principles from this request,” the senator said in a statement. “The average Minnesotan understands that businesses and individuals should never be directed or pressured to publicly support the governor by one of the governor’s own commissioners. The public needs to see a reprimand and explanation of this abuse of power. “

The sample letters leave the name of the organization or person blank and begin, “I/we stand in support of Gov. Tim Walz’s statewide masking requirement. COVID-19 has impacted every corner of our state and every aspect of our lives. As Minnesotans so often do, we’ve come together with the hopes that our shared sacrifice would spare thousands more from illness and death.”

Gazelka questioned how the letters will be used.

“Is there going to be a list in the governor’s office of which businesses wrote to him—or which didn’t—for future press conferences and publicity stunts?” the senator asked. “Is it possible some businesses are pushing back on the mask mandate and the commissioner is trying to flood the governor’s desk and our newspapers with letters of support using state resources for a taxpayer-funded PR campaign?”

He called on Grove to “worry less about cheerleading the administration and focus more on safely reopening Minnesota businesses as soon as possible.”