Tim Walz Archives - The Ohio Star

Minnesota Democrats Celebrate New Law Enshrining Abortion at Anytime During Pregnancy

February 2, 2023February 1, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) signed legislation Tuesday that has been condemned by the pro-life community as the most extreme abortion measure in the nation, one that creates a “fundamental right” to abortion at any time during pregnancy, and denies parents the right to know if their minor daughter undergoes an abortion.

Walz signed the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act to enshrine in state statute a “fundamental right” to abortion, without any restrictions, and to contraception, sterilization, fertility treatment.

Democratic Governor’s Group Pledges $75 Million to Reelect Seven Governors

May 8, 2022May 7, 2022 The Center Square

The Democratic Governors Association on Wednesday pledged $75 million for ad buys on behalf of reelection efforts for seven Democrat incumbent governors.

Tony Evers’ reelection campaign gained $21 million in Wisconsin. The group is also promising to spend $2.5 million to reelect New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham; $4.5 million to reelect Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; $5 million to reelect Colorado Gov. Jared Polis; $5 million to reelect Maine Gov. Janet Mills; $10 million to reelect Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak; and $23 million to reelect Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Prior to Youth Sports Pause, Minnesota State Officials Admitted to Lack of Evidence, Emails Suggest

April 28, 2021April 27, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

In the weeks leading up to Gov. Tim Walz’s “pause” on youth sports, state officials were privately scrambling for evidence to support the restrictions, at times admitting that “there isn’t much,” emails released Monday reveal.

“Here’s the way it should work: There is data, then there is a decision, then there is communication,” Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, explained at a Monday Senate hearing. “It’s not, ‘We need a message. Go find me the data that matches it.’”

Benson and her Republican colleagues published a trove of emails between state health officials and members of Gov. Walz’s staff ahead of Monday’s informational hearing.

Pace of Minnesota Unemployment Slows, But Claims Still Near 440,000

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Even as Gov. Tim Walz allows more sectors of the economy to open, Minnesota unemployment ticked upward to 439,550 total claims in the week ending May 30, compared to 417,084 claims the prior week ending May 23.

All told, 22,466 new unemployment claims were filed in the state last week, a drop of 4,745 claims from the 27,211 claims initiated the prior week, an 18.5 percent week-over-week decrease.

Jail Records Contradict Claims That Most Rioters Are from Out of State

May 31, 2020May 31, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, and Gov. Tim Walz all have suggested that many of the rioters wreaking havoc on the Twin Cities are from out of state, but jail records seem to show otherwise.

“We’ve seen long-term, institutional businesses overridden. We’ve seen community institutions set on fire. And I want to be very, very clear, the people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents. They are coming in largely from outside of the city, from outside of the region, to prey on everything that we have built over the last several decades. The dynamic has changed over the last several days,” Frey said during a joint Saturday press conference.

A City in Ruins: Three Nights of Riots Leave South Minneapolis Looking Like War Zone

May 30, 2020May 30, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – Three consecutive nights of rioting in response to the alleged murder of an unarmed black man at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer have left stretches of the city in ruins, producing scenes most accurately described as a war zone.

Officer Derek Chauvin, the man filmed pressing his knee into the neck of a handcuffed George Floyd, was arrested Friday on charges of murder and manslaughter. He and three colleagues involved in the incident were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department Tuesday.

Mayor Frey Says George Floyd Would Be Alive ‘If He Were White,’ Calls Incident Murder

May 29, 2020May 28, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he thinks George Floyd was murdered and claimed Floyd “would be alive today if he were white.”

Video from the tragic Monday night incident shows a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a handcuffed Floyd, who repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken into custody.

Gov. Walz Activates National Guard in Response to Minneapolis Riots, Declares Emergency

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday afternoon that he has signed an executive order activating the Minnesota National Guard to help respond to the riots in Minneapolis.

Wednesday night’s riots were marked by widespread looting, vandalism, and arson, leaving portions of south Minneapolis in ruins. In one case, a construction site being developed for low-income housing was set ablaze early Thursday morning and collapsed into the street below it as rioters cheered.

Analysis: Minnesota Has Highest Percent of COVID-19 Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities in the Nation

May 18, 2020May 17, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

About 81.7 percent of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths were in nursing homes and residential care communities, the highest percentage state in the nation that reports such data.

That’s according to data from The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), a Texas-based nonprofit think tank.

Vice President Pence Addresses Criticism for Not Wearing Mask at Mayo

April 30, 2020April 29, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Vice President Mike Pence visited the world-renowned Mayo Clinic Tuesday to discuss its fight against the coronavirus, but the media obsessed over the fact that he wasn’t wearing a mask.

Jesse Ventura ‘Testing the Waters’ for Green Party Presidential Bid

April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said Monday that he has decided to “test the waters” on a third-party presidential bid.

“If I were going to run for president, the Green Party would be my first choice. I’ve endorsed the party and I’m testing the waters,” the former professional wrestler said on Twitter.

Ventura said he hasn’t filed for candidacy but simply authorized a letter of interest sent to the Green Party on his behalf.

Klobuchar Endorses Biden at Dallas Rally: ‘Time to Join Hands Instead of Pointing Fingers’

March 3, 2020March 2, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) officially suspended her campaign and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden at a rally in Dallas, Texas Monday night.

Ilhan Omar Goes After Rural Minnesota County for Rejecting Refugees

January 11, 2020May 21, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) accused Beltrami County of “denying refugees a chance at a better life” after it voted to opt out of refugee resettlement.

Minnesota and Michigan Mayors Signed Letter Asking for Continued Refugee Resettlement

December 22, 2019December 21, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Dozens of mayors from across the country recently issued a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to ask for continued refugee resettlement in their respective cities and townships.

Minnesota Ed Commissioner ‘Encouraged’ Despite Drop in Reading and Math Scores, and Persisting Achievement Gap

September 9, 2019September 8, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Department of Education maintains that the “state of our students is promising” despite continued drops in reading and math scores, and a persistent achievement gap.

DeWine Takes State Plane to Visit Minnesota State Fair

August 24, 2019August 23, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Mike DeWine traveled on a state plane to Minnesota Friday morning to meet with Gov. Tim Walz at the Minnesota State Fair.

Despite Budget Surpluses, Tax Increases Still Debated in Minnesota as May 20 Deadline Looms

May 17, 2019May 16, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Bethany Blankey Joint conference committees continue to hash out differences with the hope of reaching the May 20 deadline and closing a $2 billion gap between conflicting budget priorities. Still up for discussion in the Minnesota legislature are proposed fees on drug distributors and manufacturers to pay for…

Conference Committees Meet to Hash Out Tax, Spending Increases in Minnesota Budgets

May 4, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Bethany Blankley With 17 days to go before the end of session, legislative conference committees began meeting Friday to hash out differing proposals for three of the most contentious omnibus bills yet to be voted on by the full Legislature. The Omnibus tax bill, Omnibus Health and Human Services…

EXCLUSIVE: MyPillow’s Mike Lindell Opens Up About Trump, Crack, ‘Evil’ Ellison, and More

September 11, 2018September 10, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of MyPillow, first met President Donald Trump the summer before the 2016 election. “When I met him, I go: ‘Wow, there’s nobody on this planet I’d rather have be my president than Donald Trump,’” he told The Minnesota Sun, a state-focused news site that, like…

Democrat Congressional Candidate in Minnesota Supports Making It A Sanctuary State

August 27, 2018August 26, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

In a heated first debate, incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03) squared off against his Democratic challenger Dean Phillips in their battle for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. Although Paulsen has safely held the seat since 2009, Minnesota’s Democractic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party is hopeful that their candidate can pull off an upset, since…

Johnson and Walz Spar Over Taxes, Refugee Resettlement In First Minnesota Gubernatorial Debates

August 22, 2018August 21, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

It’s been just one week since Rep. Tim Walz and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson won their respective primaries, but the two are already hitting the debate circuit in their race for Minnesota’s governor seat. On Friday, the two went head-to-head in front of a live audience in Nisswa, Minn.,…

In Upset Over Pawlenty, Johnson Will Face Off Against Dem Walz in Minnesota Gubernatorial Race

August 18, 2018August 17, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

After a shocking upset over former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Republican nominee Jeff Johnson is set to face off against Rep. Tim Walz in the Minnesota gubernatorial contest. Pawlenty, the last Republican to occupy the Governor’s mansion, failed to secure the nomination from the state party, but vastly outspent the Hennepin…