(ST. PAUL, MN) –  Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R- East Gull Lake) released the following statement in response to the Walz Administration’s decision to give state employees a raise in the middle of record unemployment. 

“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.”

In a statement yesterday, Gazelka warned the governor, “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. 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.”