During discussion of the Senate’s new Environment and Energy Budget Division it was revealed that the decision to create the new committee was made by a previously unknown “committee on reorganization” within the DFL Caucus of the Senate. When Senate Republicans questioned Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk about the secret committee, he said he uses the group to make decisions about individual Senator committee preferences and final committee membership.

“It’s hard to be shocked after serving 14 years in the Senate, but I was truly shocked today when I learned there is a secret committee used by Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk to make decisions on committees,” said Senate Republican Leader David Hann (R-Eden Prairie). “It’s disheartening this secret committee was used to create a new finance division that puts Greater Minnesota at a disadvantage regarding important environmental and agricultural issues.”

“Who serves on the committee? What is their mission? When do they meet? These are all questions we have for the Senate DFL Caucus. Secret committees are not transparent but unfortunately par for the course with a caucus that was caught cheating to win the last election.”