After receiving comments regarding last week’s decision by the Subcommittee on Employee Relations to reject the state employee contracts for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal (AFSCME) Council 5 and Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) unions, Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) issued the following statement:

“Since posting my reasons for voting against the public unions employment contracts, I have received numerous unpleasant phone calls and e-mails sarcastically and incorrectly accusing me of giving myself a pay raise. That information, which I believe was given to union members by AFSCME Council 5 and MAPE leadership, is simply not correct.

“While it is true that legislators received a raise in pay this year, it occurred because of a constitutional amendment that created an independent commission tasked with determining legislative pay. I vehemently opposed this amendment both when it was before the Senate, as well as when it was on the ballot in the 2016 election.

“I did not give myself a pay raise – the voters of the state of Minnesota did by voting in favor of a constitutional amendment that gives that authority to an independent commission.

“Rather than sarcasm, misleading information, and threats, I would rather have proactive feedback and a substantive discussion that ultimately leads to a ratification of the public union contracts.”

Sen. Newman is in his third term representing Senate District 18, which includes communities in McLeod, Meeker, Sibley, and Wright counties. He also serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.