Public Record Media 331-Page Response From Gov. Tim Walz Office
Public Record Media 331-Page Response From Gov. Tim Walz Office
Hello, I wanted to give you a quick call in advance of an announcement I will be making this
afternoon.
Today, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights will begin an investigation into the
Minneapolis Police Department after a civil charge was issued due to the death of George
Floyd.
This investigation into policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years will
determine if the Minneapolis Police Department has utilized systemic discriminatory practices
towards people of color.
This unprecedented action against an entire police department will allow the Minnesota
Department of Human Rights to take swift action in response to any determination of civil
rights violations.
This is a step that we can and want to take from the state level to push for systemic changes
to the MPD.
What happened to George is horrific and we know that deep reforms are the only way that
we can be serious about creating changes to keep this from happening again.
Thank you.
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Friday, June 5, 2020
Date: Friday, June 5, 2020 6:41:04 PM
Attachments: 2020 06 05 NGA Letter FY2021 Defense Appropriations Request.pdf
2020 06 05 NGA Letter FY2021 Defense Authorization Act Request.pdf
2020 06 04 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
2020 06 05 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
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Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
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From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Friday, May 29, 2020
Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 7:15:05 PM
Attachments: 2020 05 29 Minneapolis Delegation Letter AGO.pdf
2020 05 29 Klobuchar Smith Letter to Barr.pdf
2020 05 29 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
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DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
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May 29, 2020
We are writing to request that the case against the police officers who killed George Floyd, or
may have been otherwise culpable in his death, be transferred to the jurisdiction of the attorney
general's office. Unfortunately, our constituents, especially constituents of color, have lost faith
in the ability of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to fairly and impartially investigate
and prosecute these cases. Freeman's press conference on May 28th, in which he seemed ill-
prepared and suggested that there was unseen exculpatory evidence that might exonerate the
officers, further ruptured this trust.
Given the present circumstances, we believe that this case should be handled in a way that
maximizes public trust and gives confidence to the public that justice will be done. Under the
circumstances, transferring the case to the attorney general's office would be one of the most
decisive actions that you could take to calm public anger and guarantee a fair process. Attorney
General Ellison has earned goodwill of Minneapolis residents through years of service to the
city, and is known and respected throughout the community. It is imperative to signal to our
constituents, as strongly and quickly as possible, that the authorities are treating this case with
the special attention it deserves, and to demonstrate that all Minnesotans are equal in the eyes of
the law.
Sincerely,
We write to request that the Department of Justice work with state and local officials to
investigate the death of George Floyd and to immediately open an investigation to evaluate
unconstitutional patterns and practices of violent policing targeting communities of color in the
Minneapolis Police Department that contributed to Mr. Floyd’s tragic and unjust death on May
25, 2020.
Video taken by several witnesses shows that George Floyd—who is black and was unarmed—
was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a police officer who held his knee against Mr.
Floyd’s neck as he pleaded for his life. Mr. Floyd was on the ground repeatedly telling the
officer that he could not breathe, and despite that fact that bystanders are heard on video begging
the officer to relent, he did not remove his knee from Mr. Floyd’s neck until after an ambulance
arrived. Eventually Mr. Floyd loses consciousness; he was pronounced dead after being
transported to a local hospital. 1
The City of Minneapolis has fired the officers involved and has requested that the Federal
Bureau of Investigation review the incident along with local authorities. But that is not enough.
Given the repeated instances of police violence that have resulted in the deaths of several
citizens—a disproportionate share of whom have been black men—we ask that the Civil Rights
Division of the Justice Department conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of
racially discriminatory and violent policing in the MPD. The Department should also be prepared
to use the strongest tools available—including the use of court-supervised consent decrees—to
ensure oversight, enforcement, and accountability on an ongoing basis.
Those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law in order to serve
justice for George Floyd and his loved ones. And we must work toward justice for the
community, which means ensuring that the MPD accounts for and eliminates any
1
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/26/fbi-bca-investigate-death-of-man-in-minneapolis-police-custody
unconstitutional police practices. It is imperative that the Department of Justice do its part
toward that end.
Sincerely,
______________________________ ______________________________
Amy Klobuchar Tina Smith
United States Senator United States Senator
2
/s/ Jacky Rosen /s/ Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator United States Senator
3
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Monday, June 1, 2020
Date: Monday, June 1, 2020 7:35:00 PM
Attachments: 2020 06 01 CARES Act Funding Request.pdf
2020 06 01 Township Association President Letter.pdf
2020 06 01 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
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sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Thursday, June 4, 2020
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2020 7:27:57 PM
Attachments: 2020 06 04 Senator Benson Letter EO 20-34.pdf
2020 06 04 Ramsey County Board Letter.pdf
2020 06 04 Consul General of Germany Letter.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
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SENATOR MICHELLE BENSON
SENATE DISTRICT 31
Deputy Majority Leader
Chair, Health & Human Services Finance & Policy
June 4, 2020
Thank you for the hard work you and your staff are doing dealing with the great crises facing our
state. COVID-19 and the tragic death of George Floyd highlight the necessity that the executive
branch and the legislative branch must work together to tackle the challenges that face our state.
These challenges are greater than one person or one legislative body and I appreciate your
consideration of an important issue that intersects both current crises. I am writing this letter to
express my desire that law enforcement officers do not receive the personal information of
patients who have tested positive for COVID-19. I send this letter as a follow up to a letter I sent
to Commissioner Malcolm on April 8th.
Large scale protests and public gatherings in the last week to mourn and call for justice for
George Floyd have added new urgency to this issue that I raised almost two months ago. I am
concerned these public gatherings have exacerbated the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota.
Especially in communities of color who already are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It
is my concern that individuals who have contracted coronavirus may not seek testing or care
because of fear their personal information will be shared with law enforcement. We cannot
afford to have Minnesotans refuse to seek vital health care at this crucial time.
I am asking that you rescind Executive Order 20-34 effective immediately. Giving data of
positive COVID-19 patients will not and has not made an emergency responder any safer when
going into a home of someone who is an unknown carrier of COVID-19. First responders must
be aware, that given the characteristics COVID-19, that any environment may risk their exposure
without proper equipment. To protect first responders, we need to supply them with appropriate
PPE and other protections.
Patient privacy is an important principle to uphold in our state health care system. The rights of
patients should not be compromised. The State of Minnesota should follow tradition and
precedent by not sharing patients’ private diagnoses with law enforcement. Please respect the
rights of patients and their privacy.
Sincerely,
3. METC – Sent a release announcing the suspension of transit service out of concern for the
safety of riders and employees. METRO Blue Line service will continue between both airport
terminals and Fort Snelling. Northstar will complete its remaining afternoon trips before
suspending service.
4. DOC – Walker Orenstein, MinnPost, spoke with Commissioner Schnell about COVID-19 testing
in DOC facilities. DOC recently completed testing of all inmates at Stillwater, with zero positive
inmates. DOC will be moving on to Lino Lakes next including mandatory testing for staff.
Comprehensive testing is a critical part of a broader strategy to combat COVID-19 across the
DOC, with the Stay-with-Unit plans, handwashing stations, isolation and quarantine
procedures, and employee screening as other central components of that strategy.
5. DHS – Provided Chris Serres, Strib, with information about the USDA’s approval of Pandemic-
EBT for Minnesota. He plans to write for Friday about P-EBT and our announcement today
about online SNAP purchasing. Also provided him this statement from Commissioner Jodi
Harpstead: “Hundreds of thousands of school children depend on one or more healthy meals a
day through the school meal program. This new program will ensure families can purchase
healthy food to fill their children’s stomachs while easing the financial burden of extra grocery
purchases.”
6. MDE – Commissioner Ricker was interviewed by Brandi Powell, KSTP, taking a look back at
distance learning, the decisions were made, and how we got here. Commissioner Ricker had a
thoughtful, in depth conversation with Brandi, reflecting on the first decision to move to
distance learning, the planning period, the new focuses and commitments when MDE
extended distance learning, and the announcement of the use of the federal dollars and the
launch of the hybrid summer school model. Brandi did ask Commissioner Ricker about what
she thinks might be in store for the fall, and she said MDE is working closely with MDH to
monitor the situation and will inform schools as soon as we are able.
Top Legislative & Policy Issues
Legislator Contact of Significance
POCI Caucus
Attached is a letter the POCI Caucus sent to the Governor, Commissioner Harrington,
Attorney General Ellison, and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman requesting action in
response to the killing of George Floyd.
Senator Rosen
Commissioner Bauerly had a phone call with Senator Rosen yesterday to discuss Coronavirus
Relief Aid.
Representative Edelson and Representative Moller
Commissioner Tomes met with Representative Edelson and Representative Moller and
several fitness center, gym, and boutique fitness studio owners and leaders who requested
to meet with leadership. The business owners and community leaders sought an opportunity
to share their perspectives and ensure their unique environments were accounted for as the
state plans continued guidance on business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
owners and leaders also shared suggestions they feel would allow them to reopen in
modified capacities; asked for a timeline of when they can plan to reopen; and sought
perimeters they would need to meet in order to reopen. They shared concerns about access
to PPE and that their supplies are running out. Commissioner Tomes will share their
comments and questions with MDH and leadership preparing reopening guidance and
preparations.
Other Items of Interest
Call with County IT Leaders on COVID-19 Response
Commissioner Tomes and other MNIT leadership joined county IT leaders to discuss ongoing
IT operations related to COVID-19 response. Commissioner Tomes shared an overview of
increased cyberattacks and Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) activity; an overview of
MNIT’s efforts supporting the development of contact tracing activities at MDH; and an
overview of the Dial Back Dashboard.
Weekly DEED Phone Call with Local Businesses
Today DOR and DLI participated in the weekly DEED phone call with local businesses. The
DOR is working on appropriation of Federal CARES Act dollars to local governments and the
DOR is has also reopened VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites on a virtual basis.
One business asked the DOR if federal forgiven PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans
would be considered taxable, and DOR responded that they would not be taxed. The
Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor and Industry were also on the call.
The remainder of the call centered around specific questions regarding reopening of certain
establishments (small and large gyms, garage sales, firework displays, outdoor dining,
community pools, etc.)
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
Minnesota Minnesota House
Senate of Representatives
Senator Foung Hawj Representative Rena Moran
POCI Caucus Co-Chair POCI Caucus Co-Chair
95 University Ave. W., Suite 3413 575 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155 St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: 651-296-5285 Phone: 651- 296-2491
We address this to all of you, who hold the power to determine what happens next in response to
the killing of George Floyd.
Some members of our caucus are attorneys and many have experience with our criminal justice
system, but none of that is necessary to know that swift action is necessary. One need only be
human and to have watched the video of Mr. Floyd’s last minutes of life to know that justice
requires criminal accountability for those responsible for his death.
We acknowledge that legislative action is needed on various fronts to address the pervasive,
serious problems with law enforcement in our state. We will continue as a caucus and as
individuals to actively press for change at the Capitol. But none of that is relevant to whether it
was wrong for Officer Chauvin to hear “I can’t breathe” and to continue pressing down on Mr.
Floyd’s neck, or for Officers Thao, Lane, and Kueng to hear “I can’t breathe” and to do nothing
to save Mr. Floyd’s life.
If the duty of law enforcement is to serve and protect, they failed at the most basic level.
Nobody was protected by their actions, and they have caused irreparable harm to Mr. Floyd’s
family and the entire community. Please do all that is in your power to expeditiously complete
the investigation and file criminal charges against all of the officers responsible. No excuses,
only justice.
Respectfully,
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
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June 1, 2020
M E M O R A N D U M
State of Play
White House
On Monday, President Trump fully activated the D.C. National Guard, deploying 1,200 members and reportedly
requested additional forces from other states.
The White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany stated that “The Insurrection Act, it’s one of the tools
available, whether the President decides to pursue that, that’s his prerogative.” McEnany also stated that the
Administration plans to set up a "central command center" that will include Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark
Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Attorney General William Barr, in conjunction with state and local
officials.
Department of Defense
On Monday night, the Pentagon stated that the Department of the Army is in contact with the Mayor of D.C.
and that the National Guard will be used to monitor monuments and the White House while additional forces
have been put on alert status. Active duty forces will not be sent at this time.
In the States
As of Monday, 23 states and the District of Columbia had called up more than 17,000 Guardsmen to aid state
and local law enforcement in responding to the civil unrest. Rules of Force vary from state to state. In all cases,
state and local law enforcement agencies remain responsible for security, with the National Guard responding
to their requests for assistance in augmenting law enforcement.
NGA will provide additional updates as they are made available. States should note that Guard forces
responding to COVID-19 could be impacted.
The Insurrection Act, once invoked, allows the President to deploy active-duty forces within the United States
without the request or the consent of a governor. The Act also allows active-duty troops to preform law
enforcement missions which are normally prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act (10 United States Code,
Section 1385).
• The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 by President Bush during the Rodney King riots in Los
Angeles. Within President Bush’s Executive Order (Executive Order 12804), the President invoked 10
United States Code, Chapter 15 which governs military support to law enforcement.
Involuntary Mobilization Authorities for the National Guard
• Title 10 USC, Section 12406
o Specifically Section 3 notes “the President may call into Federal service members and units of
the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary to repel the invasion,
suppress the rebellion, or execute those laws. Orders for these purposes shall be issued through
the governors of the States or, in the case of the District of Columbia, through the commanding
general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia.”
• Title 10 USC, Section 12302 – in the event of a national emergency, the President may order no more
than 1 million members of the ready reserve to active duty status without their consent for up to 24
consecutive months.
• Title 10 USC, Section 12301 - allows for involuntary mobilization of reserve component members
without their consent for not more than 15 days.
Other Resources
• CRS Report – The Posse Comitatus Act and Related Matter: A Sketch – 2018
• CRS Defense Primer: Legal Authorities for the Use of Military Force
• DOD Joint Publication: Defense Support of Civil Authorities – 2018
• CRS Defense Primer: Defense Support to Civil Authorities – 2019
For questions or concerns related to the contents of this memo, please contact NGA staff
(Mary Catherine Ott, [email protected])
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: Bailey, Erin K (MMB); Beckmann, Kristin L (GOV); Bergman, Sasha (GOV); Carlson, Charlie B (GOV); Castaneda,
Kayla J (GOV); Doty1, Robert (GOV); Frosch-Taylor, Elizabeth (GOV); GOVCampbell, Erin (GOV); Held, Jessi
(GOV); Kane, Celina (GOV); Leininger, Sophie (GOV); Long, Nate (GOV); Loyola, Migdalia (GOV); McDonnell1,
Craig (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Procaccini, Karl C (GOV); Quinn, Hannah M (GOV); Sidley, Jane (GOV);
Simpson, Amanda (GOV); Tanis, Patrick (GOV); Taylor, Chris (GOV); Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Bauer, Emmalynn
(GOV); Frosch-Taylor, Elizabeth (GOV); Lamers, Kate R (GOV); Lancaster, Claire (GOV); Nelson, Madelyn (GOV);
Park, Patina (GOV); Rumicho, Kaleb (GOV); Parks, Emily M (GOV); Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Wallington, Brooke
(GOV)
Subject: Evening Update - Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 7:09:33 PM
Attachments: 2020 06 03 Dakota County Legislators on CARES Funding.pdf
2020 06 03 Representative Kresha Fitness Connection Letter.pdf
2020 06 03 Representative Craig Letter on CARES Act Funding Distribution.pdf
2020 06 03 Tri-signed letter to the Force.pdf
2020 06 03 CNGB Letter - We Must Do Better.pdf
2020 06 03 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
2020 06 03 Agency Public Engagement Overview.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
From: Lancaster, Claire (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Communications; Procaccini, Karl C (GOV); Parks, Emily M (GOV); Schmitter, Chris L (GOV); Nguyen,
Hue (GOV); Carlson, Charlie B (GOV); Leininger, Sophie (GOV)
Subject: FOR APPROVAL: Governor Walz Announces Modified Nighttime Curfew
Date: Monday, June 1, 2020 1:32:30 PM
Attachments: image001.png
Governor,
Below is a draft statement for the announcement of charges today. Please let me know if you
approve or have edits.
I laid flowers at George Floyd’s memorial this morning. As a former high school history teacher, I
looked up at the mural of George’s face painted above and I reflected on what his death will
mean for future generations. What will our young people learn about this moment? Will his
death be just another blip in a textbook? Or will it go down in history as when our country turned
toward justice and change?
It’s on each of us to determine that answer.
The charges announced by Attorney General Keith Ellison today are a meaningful step toward
justice for George Floyd.
But we must also recognize that the anguish driving protests around the world is about more
than one tragic incident.
George Floyd’s death is the symptom of a larger disease. We will not wake up one day and have
the disease of systemic racism cured for us. This is on each of us to solve together, and we have
hard work ahead.
We owe that much to George Floyd, and we owe that much to each other.
Kayla Castañeda | Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
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DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
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From: Lancaster, Claire (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Communications; Procaccini, Karl C (GOV); Schmitter, Chris L (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Carlson,
Charlie B (GOV)
Subject: FOR AWARENESS: Governor Walz Activates Minnesota National Guard to Protect the People of Clay County
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 11:54:26 PM
Attachments: image001.png
Governor,
For your awareness, we plan to send this release out shortly. Here is your quote:
“The Minnesota National Guard stands ready to provide protection for all
Minnesotans,” said Governor Walz. “While Minnesotans turn their attention to rebuilding
our communities and reexamining racial inequities in the wake of George Floyd’s death, our
administration is committed to providing protection for our neighborhoods, businesses, and
families in order for those meaningful conversations to happen.”
Governor,
We plan to send this release announcing the curfew extension early this afternoon. Let us know if you
have any concerns.
Claire
Chris asked me to share the coverage schedule for protest response through Sunday at 10 am. The individuals listed
below represent each department and are on a text thread to help support our response. Chris and Kristin are
taking shifts throughout the night. Hopefully, other staff are also resting when they are off shift but can be
called up by their team representative. Let me know if have any questions and thank you!
Saturday
2am-6am:
6am-10am:
10am-2pm:
2pm-6pm:
6pm-10pm:
10pm 2am
Sunday
2am-6am:
6am-10am:
If you have any ques ons, please call me and thank you all! A
Amanda Simpson | Chief Opera ng Officer
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Mar n Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3416 |Cell:
One Minnesota
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Fwd: FOR APPROVAL: Quotes in 6 p.m. announcements release
Thanks teddy!!!!
Hello Governor,
Below, please see your quotes in the press release for the 6 p.m. announcement today. Let me know if you approve or
have edits!
“Minnesotans, thank you for your continued sacrifices,” Governor Walz said. “You have saved
thousands of lives. You successfully pushed out the peak of this virus and bought our state time to get ready to
treat those who fall ill. We know there’s no stopping the storm of COVID-19 from hitting Minnesota, but we have
made great progress to prepare for it.”
“This is not the time for sudden movements,” Governor Walz continued. “We are not flipping a
switch and going back to normal all at once. We are slowly moving a dial and introducing more interaction
between people over time. As we take cautious steps forward, it is more important than ever that we protect
those most at risk, support workers, and all do our part to slow the spread of the virus.”
Thank you!
Emma
--
Citing progress made to prepare for peak of infection, Walz announced measured,
cautious ‘turning of dial’ toward new normal
With Stay Home order set to expire on May 18, Walz will replace it with an order
continuing to encourage Minnesotans to stay close to home but allowing for gatherings
of friends and family of 10 people or less
Walz also opening retail stores and other main street businesses if they have a social
distancing plan and operate at 50 percent occupancy
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz announced the next phase of the COVID-19 response in
Minnesota. Citing progress made to prepare for peak of infection, the Governor announced a
measured, cautious turning of the dial toward a new normal. With the Stay Home Executive Order set
to expire on May 18, the Governor will replace it with an order continuing to encourage Minnesotans
to stay close to home but allowing for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. The
Governor will also open retail stores and other main street businesses if they have a social distancing
plan and operate at 50 percent occupancy.
“Minnesotans, thank you for your continued sacrifices,” Governor Walz said “You have aved
thousands of lives. You successfully pushed out the peak of this virus and bought our state time to get ready to
treat those who fall ill. We know there’s no stopping the storm of COVID-19 from hitting Minnesota, but we have
made great progre to prepare for it ”
“This is not the time for sudden movements,” Governor Walz continued “We are not flipping a
switch and going back to normal all at once. We are slowly moving a dial and introducing more interaction
between people over time. As we take cautious steps forward, it is more important than ever that we protect
tho e mo t at ri k, upport worker , and all do our part to low the pread of the viru ”
In conjunction with this announcement today, the Governor signed Executive Orders to protect
Minnesotans most at risk from the virus and safeguard workers. The first Executive Order strongly
encourages Minnesotans at greatest risk of serious illness to continue staying home. The second
Executive Order ensures workers can raise concerns regarding the safety of their work environments
without fear of discrimination or retaliation. It also protects workers from loss of income if they refuse
to work under unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
“As we slowly and cautiously move the dial, we are centering Minnesota workers in our
decisions,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “At this moment, worker protections are
paramount. Minnesotans with underlying conditions can and should continue staying home to protect their
health, and those who return to work can and should raise concerns about the health and safety practices of
their workplaces without fear of discrimination or retaliation. That’s how we stay safe together.”
Following the guidance of public health officials, the Governor today announced a preliminary set of
health indicators that could trigger a decision to re-impose restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.
These indicators will be refined over time as we learn more about the virus and the course of the
pandemic in Minnesota. They include the number of COVID-19 tests that can be conducted as well
as the rate of increase in:
Number of new COVID-19 cases
Percent of COVID-19 tests that are positive
Percent of COVID-19 cases for which the source of infection is unknown
“Minnesota is still in the early stages of the COVID 19 pandemic and we will be dealing with its
impacts for many months,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm “We’ve made
encouraging progress on preparedness and on safeguarding our most vulnerable, and that work will continue.
As Governor Walz adjusts the state’s response and guidance to meet current and future needs, we will continue
to track the cour e of the pandemic and apply the many thing we are learning about the viru and it ri k Our
goal is to protect the most vulnerable Minnesotans while also learning how to live with this pandemic until a
vaccine becomes widely available.”
[DIAL graphic]
When the Stay Home MN order ends on May 18, the Governor announced today that he will be
replacing it with a new order that brings back more social interactions. Titled “Stay Safe MN,”
Minnesotans are still asked to stay close to home and limit travel to what is essential. But the order
allows gatherings with friends and family in groups of 10 or less with social distancing. In all cases,
Minnesotans are asked not to gather in large groups. All gatherings are limited to 10 and social
distancing with masks, hand-washing and other safety measures should be followed to protect each
other.
An additional executive order announced today will allow retail stores, malls, and main street
businesses to reopen for in-person shopping as long as they have a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in
place that incorporates social distancing protocols for workers and customers and limits occupancy to
no more than 50 percent of the establishment’s occupant capacity. The Department of Employment &
Economic Development (DEED) estimates that this action will enable up to 37,000 more workers to
safely return to work over the next several weeks. Additional guidance, including a template plan and
checklist for businesses, is available on DEED’s website at mn.gov/deed/safework.
“Ensuring the health and safety of workers and customers is the top priority as we gradually
reopen our economy and put more people back to work,” said DEED Commissioner Steve
Grove. “We have worked closely with our state’s business community and labor organizations and listened to
Minnesotans across the state about our next steps, and we’re eager to see more businesses expand operations
with the necessary safety protocols in place.”
The Governor also announced today that he is directing his cabinet to assemble similar guidance on
how to safely re-open bars, restaurants, barbershops, and salons beginning June 1. This will coincide
with a significant increase in testing, tracing, and isolating the virus in the state.
The Governor today also extended his peacetime emergency authority until June 12. Extending the
peacetime emergency in Minnesota allows the Governor to keep his toolbox open so he can take
critical, swift action to protect Minnesotans. Being in a peacetime state of emergency has allowed
Minnesota to: enhance protections for veterans in our veterans homes; activate the National Guard to
assist in relief efforts; provide economic relief and stability to those impacted by the pandemic; and
more. The Governor’s letter to state legislative leaders on the peacetime emergency extension is
attached.
###
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3455 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
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From: Procaccini, Karl C (GOV)
To: Lancaster, Claire (GOV); Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Communications; Carlson, Charlie B (GOV); Leininger, Sophie (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Schmitter,
Chris L (GOV)
Subject: RE: FOR APPROVAL: Governor Walz Signs Executive Order Activating National Guard to Protect the People of
Minneapolis
Date: Thursday, May 28, 2020 3:27:58 PM
Attachments: EO 20-64, Peacetime Emergency Civil Unrest City of Mpls May 28 2020 (FINAL).docx
image001.png
1. MDH – Responded to inquiries from mul ple media outlets including MinnPost, Forum, WCCO, and KSTP. Topics
included a general update, tes ng, and priority popula on.
2. DHS – Provided the Minnesota Capitol Press Corps and mul ple social services reporters with Commissioner Jodi
Harpstead’s statement on Governor Walz’s Execu ve Orders concerning DHS announced at today’s news
conference.
3. DEED – Responded to inquiries from the Pioneer Press, Strib, WCCO, MinnPost, KARE, AP, Forum, KSTP, and Fox 9
about the most recent UI numbers. Commissioner Grove will be on At Issue tomorrow morning.
Top Legislative & Policy Issues
Thank you for the work you and your office are doing dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. It is important
the executive and legislative branches function together to respond to the needs of all Minnesotans during
this unprecedented time.
Additionally, it is imperative we be as proactive as possible while making decisions that will affect
millions of lives. We want to inform you of a potential impending concern that we have heard from our
health care industry. Other regions of the country are considering or have implemented shelter in place
directives to citizens to try and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
At the present time, shelter in place directives have been issued only by a few places in the United States.
However, given the rapid changes happening as a result of the continuing spread of COVID-19, we must
advise your office if action is eventually taken.
If a shelter in place directive is given, we must exempt the vital therapy and health technology industries
that are crucial infrastructure to combat COVID-19 and other health challenges. Medical Alley has
provided us the following exemption language that could be used in a potential shelter in place directive:
For purposes of this Order, individuals may leave their residence to work for or obtain services at any
“Healthcare Operations” including hospitals, clinics, dentists, pharmacies, companies and institutions
involved in the research and development, manufacture, distribution, warehousing, and supplying of
pharmaceuticals, biotechnology therapies, consumer health products, and medical devices, diagnostics,
equipment, services and any other healthcare related supplies or services . This shall be broadly
construed to include all other activities, supplies, and services required to maintain supply chain
operations without disruption. “Healthcare Operations” does not include fitness and exercise gyms and
similar facilities.
We want to make it clear we are not advocating for a shelter in place order to be implemented in
Minnesota at this time. Nonetheless, we want to be proactive in ensuring the businesses and workers, that
make Minnesota a health care beacon globally, can continue their important work.
Our offices are ready to be a partner and assist in whatever manner possible.
Sincerely,
--
Madeline Hormann | Legislative Coordinator
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3427 |Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
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confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
Tribal-State Relations Highlights
• Two Tribal Liaisons (TLs) meetings. Purpose – Introductions of Patina & Mattie with TLs. Explanation of new
roles in relation to the COVID response with the Tribes. TLs described some of their work and roles and
upcoming projects. Ideas shared to improve flow of communication in responding to COVD-19.
• Tribal Leadership Conference Call with LG & Federal delegates (Daily since March 17th). Purpose – Respond to
issues with Executive Orders identified by Tribal Leaders and funding opportunities to fill gaps. Representatives
from both Senator Smith’s and Representative McCollum’s offices regularly attend the calls.
• Meeting with Federal delegates. Purpose – Connect on the impact of COVID-19 and Native Communities. Shared
information on what Tribes are experiencing in MN related to the COVID pandemic and the activities at the
Federal level around funding opportunities. Continues to meet biweekly.
• Facilitated meeting with Tribal Attorneys for Executive Order 20-20. Purpose – Executive Order 20-04 did not
mention the Tribal Nations and there were numerous questions sent by Tribal Leaders on whether the Governor
intended for the order to apply to the Tribal Nations. Suggestion was made by team to include language in the
future Executive Orders on whether it would apply to the Tribes or not. Fairly complex jurisdictional issues are
present during the issuing of a Stay-at-Home Order and so a meeting was facilitated by our team and held
between the Tribal Attorneys and the General Counsel for the Governor on two occasions.
• The Tribal-State Relations team attended numerous meetings related to the COVID response, including, but not
limited to: Daily Homeless Response Core Team meetings, Daily COVID-19 Briefings, MDH Tribal Health Directors
and SEOC Daily Briefings.
• Provided numerous resources to the Tribal Leaders from the CDC, IHS, AIHC, and others.
State parks, recreation areas, campgrounds, and other public lands remain open to the public for people to enjoy.
The DNR is encouraging the public to use social distancing options for doing business with the agency, such as buying or
renewing licenses online, calling rather than stopping by your local DNR office, using online or telephone reservation
systems, and using email or phone to request information from the DNR’s Information Center.
The DNR has adopted Minnesota Department of Health’s social distancing guidelines.
Postponed events:
Here are events that are postponed at this time:
• All safety education training, including firearms safety training.
• Deer open houses.
• Elk input meetings in northwest Minnesota.
MDA
March 19 – The Food Safety Defense Taskforce have been working on fact sheets regarding COVID-19. The Taskforce has
been getting out information about being safe, and updates that are happening in real-time. We have been having
briefings with the Food Safety Defense Taskforce to hear from Industry leaders as to what they are doing for their
companies, more importantly we discuss any ideas of how to keep the food supply safe for all Minnesotans. FYI these
documents are also available on the MDA website Food Safety Information and Resources Page. This page will be
updated frequently in the days to come as new resources are made available.
MDH
A group that is working on Community Engagement for Cultural and Faith Communities is meeting twice a week to plan
and advance efforts to reach cultural and faith communities.
This week the group identified a new team lead for Latinx communities and established a contract team. The group is
also now filling out each work team.
Please see below some issues of concern that have arisen. MDH is following up on these concerns to the extent
possible:
• MDH is working to keep up with speaking requests
• There is a concern how to get information to migrant workers –
o Staff will seek out those who may have connections with migrant workers
o MDH would like to reach out to the unions that represent people working in the meat processing plants
• A related concern: the challenge of reaching immigrant communities in rural areas
• We have heard that there are supervisors that will not give people time off work unless they are officially
diagnosed with COVID-19. Given that there is a limit to testing, this means that people are working when sick.
• Developing communications specifically for youth.
A number of these concerns bridge the roles of other state agencies. Connections were made with:
• Department of Agriculture re: migrant workers;
• Department of Labor and Industry re: connections with unions and guidance for employers that may be denying
time off for illness;
• Department of Human Services related to getting information to elders from various cultural communities.
This group is pro-actively reaching out to a wide range of communities and bringing any issues into the Emergency
Response Operating committee
MDHR
March 18 – The office has been fielding calls from people with claims of discrimination. Topics of the calls include people
requesting reasonable accommodations in the workplace because they are at high-risk when it comes to COVID-19 and
individuals from the API community feeling discrimination when accessing public accommodations (i.e. restaurants,
grocery stores).
Ongoing – MDHR is working with Minnesota Housing and Health to develop a one-pager/know your rights for housing
during COVID. MDHR is working with MHFA and MDH to create a document that includes the anti-discrimination
protections people have under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
OHE
March 23 – Attended Representative Ilhan Omar’s Virtual Town Hall via Facebook Live regarding COVID-19.
March 26 – MNclusive WebEx to discuss State of Minnesota participation in Twin Cities Pride Parade and other
initiatives that have been impacted by COVID-19.
From: Long, Nate (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV)
Cc: Carlson, Charlie B (GOV); Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Castaneda, Kayla J (GOV); Frosch-Taylor, Elizabeth (GOV);
Bauer, Emmalynn (GOV); Held, Jessi (GOV)
Subject: Event Summary: 2pm Press Call
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 11:59:29 AM
Attachments: GOV Presser 3.24.2020 FINAL.pdf
Governor,
Attached are the background materials for the 2pm Press Call with MDH. The comms team will
review with you at 1pm during prep.
Nate
Nate Long | Scheduler for the Governor
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3460 | Fax: 651-797-1850
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain confidential and/or privileged
information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination,
retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in
error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
Event Summary
Conference ID
Event Purpose: The daily COVID-19 update for members of the press.
DETAILS
This is your daily COVID-19 update call with members of the press. You will run through high
level updates. Then you’ll pass the presentation over to Commissioner Malcolm, Joe Kelly,
Commissioner Grove, and Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller.
Mike Schommer at MDH will largely run this call. This is a hosted call, so the host company will
filter each member of the press and only one line will be open for questions.
SPEAKING ORDER
Governor
Commissioner Malcolm
Joe Kelly
Commissioner Steve Grove
Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller
Governor
1
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
AGENDA / PROGRAM
2:00PM Mike Schommer with MDH will begin the press call and will give a run-down of
call logistics
2:02PM YOU begin press call with welcome remarks and updates (10 minutes)
2:12PM Commissioner Malcolm provides MDH updates (5 minutes)
2:17PM Joe Kelly provides SEOC updates (5 minutes)
2:22PM Commissioner Grove provides DEED updates (3 minutes)
2:25PM Deputy Commissioner Mueller provides MDE updates (3 minutes)
2:28PM YOU take questions from the press via the call host
2:48PM Mike Schommer will announce that there is time for one more question. You will
take one more, and then Mike will say, “Governor, is there anything else you’d
like to add today?” This will prompt you to conclude the call.
2:50PM YOU close the call with a brief positive story
2:58PM Mike Schommer closes the call
PRESS
Press will be advised by the communications team.
2
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
TALKING POINTS
DAILY UPDATES
• Good afternoon. I’m reporting to you all on my second day of
quarantine.
• I’m still feeling healthy and not showing any symptoms. But
I’m following the advice of experts and staying home.
• Unemployment insurance
3
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
o We’ve strengthened the state’s unemployment insurance
program to expedite an increase in applicants looking for
support, and we’ll stand by employers who may need new
resources in this evolving economic climate
4
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
• Yesterday, I signed Executive Order 20-14 to suspend
eviction proceedings during the COVID-19 peacetime
emergency.
• Lots of people have been asking how they can help others
during this crisis.
5
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
o Health care workers who are working tirelessly to care for
Minnesotans
o Child care providers who educate and care for our babies
and children, while their parents are on the frontlines of this
crisis
o Let’s all thank them more often in the days and weeks
ahead.
POSITIVE STORY
• Thank you all for joining the call today and for helping spread the
word about this pandemic.
6
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
• When I look around the state, I see Minnesotans of all sorts
stepping up to help each other.
• They are providing health care workers in the state with the some
of the things they need most now, ranging from child or pet care
to grocery and pharmacy runs.
• Thank you.
7
3/24/2020 11:39 AM
From: Wallington, Brooke (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Peggy
Cc: #GOV Gov Communications; Beckmann, Kristin L (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Schmitter, Chris L (GOV); Carlson,
Charlie B (GOV); Leininger, Sophie (GOV)
Subject: FOR APPROVAL: Governor Walz Issues Stay at Home Order for Minnesotans
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 12:57:00 PM
Attachments: image003.png
[ST. PAUL, MN] – To slow the spread of COVID-19 across the state, Governor Tim Walz today
signed Executive Order 20-20 directing Minnesotans to stay at home and limit movements outside
of their home beyond essential needs. This order takes effect at 11:59pm on Friday, March 27 and
ends at 5:00pm on Friday, April 10.
“We must take bold action to save the lives of Minnesotans,” said Governor Walz. “Having
served as a Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard, I know the importance
of having a plan. While the virus will still be here when this order ends, this two-week period
will give Minnesota time to ready for battle.”
Modeling released today by the Minnesota Department of Health and University of Minnesota
predicts that more than 70,000 Minnesotans could die from COVID-19 if we take no action. The
Governor’s two-week order to stay home is forecasted to significantly slow the spread of COVID-
19 and allow the state time to make key preparations for the pandemic. These preparations include
building hospital capacity, increasing access to life-saving equipment like ventilators, increasing
testing, planning for how to care for vulnerable populations, and assessing public health data to
determine which community mitigation strategies are most effective.
“We will work with our world-renowned health care sector, cutting-edge manufacturers,
innovative business community, and strong-spirited Minnesotans across the state to tackle
this virus head on,” Governor Walz continued. “These are trying times. But we are
Minnesotans. We see challenges—and we tackle them. No matter how daunting the
challenge; no matter how dark the times; Minnesota has always risen up—by coming
together. If we unite as One Minnesota, we will save lives.”
Minnesotans may leave their residences only to perform any of the following activities, and while
doing so, they should practice social distancing:
· Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
· Outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
· Necessary Supplies and Services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
· Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to a home from outside this state
· Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
· Displacement, such as moving between emergency shelters if you are without a home
· Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has
been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
· Tribal activities and lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their
tribal reservation
“Our top priority is the health and safety of Minnesotans,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy
Flanagan. “As the mom of a first-grader, I know that the coming weeks will be difficult for
many Minnesota families, but social distancing is the most important action we can take as a
community to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
“Public health and health care workers around the state are working incredibly hard to protect
Minnesotans from this outbreak, and we need all Minnesotans to do their part to slow the
spread,” Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. “These new
measures will buy us much-needed time to secure additional resources and line up additional
protections for our most vulnerable Minnesotans.”
Workers who work in critical sectors during this time are exempt from the stay at home order.
These exemptions are based on federal guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency (CISA) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with some Minnesota-
specific additions. This includes, but is not limited to, jobs in:
The Governor also today issued executive orders extending the closure of bars, restaurants, and
other public accommodations set forth in Executive Orders 20-04 and 20-08 until May 1, 2020 at
5:00 pm and authorizing the Commissioner of Education to implement a Distance Learning Period
for Minnesota’s students beginning on March 30 through May 4, 2020.
###
From: Swint, Zachariah D. EOP/WHO
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Schmitter, Chris L (GOV); Bergman, Sasha (GOV); Kelly, Joseph (DPS); Pizzuti, Sandy (MDH)
Cc: Hoelscher, Douglas L. EOP/WHO; Pottebaum, Nic D. EOP/WHO
Subject: Important Role of FEMA in COVID-19 Preparedness, Response, & Mitigation
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2020 12:40:50 PM
Attachments: image001.png
FEMA Regional Administrators Contact Information.pdf
Thank you for all of your hard work and partnership regarding the All-of-America
effort to respond to, prepare for, and mitigate the effects of COVID-19. I wanted to
follow-up on a few things from Thursday’s briefing between the President, Vice
President, and Governors.
· Action Request: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has activated the
National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) 24/7 and is now the lead agency to
make formal Federal requests. Your State’s strong leadership is needed to provide
effective emergency management that is: (1) Locally-executed, (2) State-managed, and
(3) Federally-supported.
o Local leaders are the “boots on the ground” and are best suited to quickly
identify innovative solutions for the majority of issues.
o State officials are best situated to help coordinate these solutions both across
the state and with the Federal government.
o The Federal government helps scale best practices, coordinates key priorities, and
provides regulatory flexibilities and key resources to support these solutions.
· What This Means: All requests to the Federal government must be formally
communicated by your State emergency manager to your FEMA Regional
Administrator. This is the same process as natural disasters (e.g., hurricane recovery,
flood recovery, tornado recovery, etc.). Reminding your team that if they are not
utilizing the connectivity between the state operations center and the FEMA team, they
aren’t doing right – the good news most folks are now utilizing this path and with your
help, we can all ensure effective processes elevate key priorities and questions. In
particular, please ensure good connectivity between your state public health director
and your state emergency manager.
· Contact Information: Contact information for your FEMA Regional Administrator is
attached – we imagine your emergency manager has them on speed dial.
· Testing: If you have not yet connected with the representatives from Roche, Thermo
Fisher, and other private sector testing platforms, I would encourage you to do so as
that is where the high-speed testing solution is moving forward.
Sound emergency management discipline will allow all of us to have unity of effort
and have a real-time understanding of all the key resources in each community and
across each State.
Thanks,
Douglas L. Hoelscher
and
Nicholas D. Pottebaum
From: Castaneda, Kayla J (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV)
Cc: Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy (GOV)
Subject: RE: Anticipated Q and A
Date: Monday, March 23, 2020 12:08:00 PM
2:00PM Mike Schommer with MDH will begin the press call and will give a run-down of call logistics
2:02PM Governor begins press call with welcome remarks and updates (10 minutes)
2:12PM Commissioner Malcolm provides MDH updates (5 minutes)
2:17PM Joe Kelly provides SEOC updates (5 minutes)
2:22PM Commissioner Grove provides DEED updates (3 minutes)
2:25PM Deputy Commissioner Mueller provides MDE updates (3 minutes)
2:28PM Governor takes questions from the press via the call host
2:50PM Governor closes the call with a brief positive story
2:58PM Mike Schommer closes the call
Thank you,
Hannah
Hannah Quinn | Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3436 |Cell:
Pronouns:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
SEOC Senior Leadership Brief
Incident Name: COVID 19 10 April 2021
For Official Use Only
Thank you,
Hannah
Hannah Quinn | Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3436 |Cell:
Pronouns:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
SEOC Senior Leadership Brief
Incident Name: COVID 19 11 April 2021
For Official Use Only
Commerce commissioner
• Governor Tim Walz this week appointed Grace Arnold as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department
of Commerce. Arnold’s strong experience in health care and insurance policy most recently includes
her service as Deputy Commissioner of Insurance at the Department of Commerce as well as
Temporary Commissioner.
• This appointment follows an application review and interview process beginning with a call for
applications in January. Arnold replaces Steve Kelley as Commissioner for a term beginning today.
• Prior to her tenure at the Department of Commerce, Commissioner Arnold spent nearly a decade at
the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services where she helped lead the technology turnaround of healthcare.gov and led policy
development during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Before joining the Department,
Commissioner Arnold led product development for individual and family plans at Bright Health, a
Minneapolis-based health insurer. She has a master’s degree from George Washington University and
holds an undergraduate degree from Macalester College.
Police reform
• The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are committed to advancing meaningful police reform.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and protected by police.
• In July, the Governor signed the Minnesota Police Accountability Act into law.
o These critical reforms strengthen transparency and community oversight of policing, ban
chokeholds and ‘warrior training,’ expand autism awareness and mental health de-escalation
training for officers, and change the circumstances under which officers can use deadly force.
o These were positive steps, and the Governor and Lieutenant Governor will continue to work
with the Legislature to advance police reform.
• If asked, below is a list of specific police reform proposals that are included in the Governor’s budget:
o Invest in community healing and support families of those impacted by deadly force
encounters with police
o Create a more robust POST Board to regulate and train our professional peace officers
o Work toward ending police-only responses to mental health crisis calls
o The Governor also supports:
▪ Strengthening civilian oversight of police departments
▪ Ending no knock warrants
▪ Looking into why and how we enforce minor traffic violations.
1
Brooklyn Center
General
• The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are praying for Daunte Wright’s family as our state mourns
another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement.
• We know that our state and nation are in need of meaningful police reform. Everyone deserves to feel
safe and protected by law enforcement.
• The Governor and Lieutenant Governor are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of
peaceful protestors. Violence and destruction, however, only hurt and endanger the community.
• Last night, State resources continued to join local law enforcement officials in a coordinated response
to keep the peace and protect citizens and businesses.
• The Governor is committed to protecting the safety of Minnesotans and our communities.
• Last night, State resources continued to join local law enforcement officials in a coordinated response
to keep the peace and protect citizens and businesses.
• In February, Governor Walz issued Executive Order 21-06, authorizing the Minnesota National Guard
to provide public safety assistance as needed to the Twin Cities area.
• The Governor is not involved in the trial and is not able to intervene in this legal matter. The trial is in
the hands of the court. The Governor respects the legal process and has full faith in Attorney General
Ellison to represent the State.
• This week, the CDC and FDA recommended temporarily pausing further administration of the Johnson
and Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of extreme caution.
• While no State of Minnesota vaccination sites are using J&J this week, the state is recommending
other providers follow the CDC/FDA recommendation to temporarily pause use of J&J at this time.
• The recommendation comes after 6 people out of almost 7 million who have received the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine experienced a rare and severe type of blood clot after getting their shot.
• All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13
days after vaccination.
2
• The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet Wednesday to further
review these cases and assess their potential significance.
• The FDA will also review that analysis and investigate the cases on its own.
• While these incidents have been extremely rare, anyone who has received the J&J vaccine who
develops severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after
vaccination should contact their health care provider.
3
From: Griffin, Holland ( (GOV)
To: Griffin, Holland ( (GOV)
Subject: Daily Principal Mentions: April 12, 2021
Date: Monday, April 12, 2021 8:07:31 AM
Attachments: image001.png
"We're ready to keep the peace in our community, but, at the same time, make sure that we're
providing space for protesters to protest and express their constitutional right to gather and
deliver their demands, deliver their grievances to the government," Elliott told Wolf Blitzer.
Blitzer then brought up Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan's recent statement, in which
she said she was "grappling with the stark reality: Minnesota is a place where it is not safe to be
Black."
"Is she right?" Blitzer asked.
"She's absolutely right, Wolf," Elliott, who is Black, responded.
"This is something that people in my community have been grappling with for a very long time.
It's not safe to drive in Minnesota while you're Black."
He went on: "If we see police behind us, we're afraid. We're trembling.
"That is a kind of terror that no citizen of the United States should ever have to face. It's
constant. It's ever-present. And so it's something that must change," he added.
In Minneapolis, A Fortified City Awaits Derek Chauvin Verdict (WCCO)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Just outside the entrance to Smile Orthodontics, in a Minneapolis
neighborhood of craft breweries and trendy shops, two soldiers in jungle camouflage and body
armor were on watch Monday, assault rifles slung over their backs. Snow flurries blew around
them. A few steps away at the Iron Door Pub, three more National Guard soldiers and a
Minneapolis police officer stood out front, watching the street. A handful of other soldiers
were scattered nearby, along with four camouflaged Humvees and a couple police cars.
Across the street was a boarded-up building spray-painted with big yellow letters: “BLACK LIVES
MATTER ALL YEAR ROUND.”
Adam Martinez was walking down the street when he briefly stopped to stare at the scene.
“This city feels like it’s occupied by the military,” said Martinez, a commercial painter who lives
in nearby St. Paul. “This is so weird.”
More than 3,000 National Guard soldiers, along with police officers, state police, sheriffs
deputies and other law enforcement personnel have flooded the city in recent days, with a
verdict looming in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murder in
the death last year of George Floyd.
But in the city that has come to epitomize America’s debate over police killings, there are
places today in Minneapolis that can feel almost like a police state.
It leaves many wondering: How much is too much?
Concrete barriers, chain-link fences and barbed wire now ring parts of downtown Minneapolis
so that authorities can quickly close off the courthouse where the trial is being held. It’s
become normal in recent days to pass convoys of desert-tan military vehicles on nearby
highways, and stumble across armed men and women standing guard.
One day they’ll park their armored vehicles in front of the high-end kitchen store with its $160
bread knives and $400 cooking pots. The next they’ll be outside the Depression-era movie
theater, or the popular Mexican grocery store or the liquor store ransacked by rioters during
the protests that followed Floyd’s death.
Meanwhile hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of stores and other buildings have been
boarded up across the city, from Absolute Bail Bonds to glass-walled downtown office towers
to Floyd’s 99 Barbershop.
Behind all the security are the days of violence that began with protests over Floyd’s death.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced withering criticism for
not stepping in quicker to deploy the National Guard. City officials estimate the city suffered
roughly $350 million in damage, mostly to commercial properties.
“They’re between a rock and hard place,” said Eli Silverman, professor emeritus at the John Jay
College of Criminal Justice and a longtime scholar of policing. “You don’t want to overmilitarize
and make it appear that you’ve converted a sovereign state into a police state. But on the other
hand, you have to be prepared, too,” in case protests flare again.
More important than the size of the force, he said, is the expertise and planning behind it. Law
enforcement leaders, for example, need to ensure proper crowd control training, and that
officers from other jurisdictions are under a single command.
“It’s not just numbers, it’s the strategic decisions that are incorporated in these things,” he
said.
Minneapolis has a coordinated law-enforcement plan, called Operation Safety Net, that
oversees planning and law-enforcement responses.
Speaking on Monday to reporters, top law-enforcement officials stood alongside local
community leaders and vowed to protect property, allow peaceful protests, and try to de-
escalate tensions before demonstrations turn violent.
Recent history, though, hasn’t been so peaceful. A little over a week ago, 20-year-old Daunte
Wright, a Black man, was killed by police during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of
Brooklyn Center.
Protests outside the city’s police headquarters regularly spilled into violence, with protesters
lobbing water bottles and the occasional rock at an array of law enforcement officers, and law
enforcement responding by going after protesters – and sometimes journalists – with pepper
spray, tear gas and rubber bullets.
“We know we need to do better. What happened the last few days wasn’t something we
wanted,” Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson said at the press conference. “But we had
to act to keep the community safe. And I will never back down from anybody when it comes to
keeping this county safe.”
Many here doubt the promises of law enforcement, which has long had a troubled relationship
with the city’s Black community.
Burhan Israfael, a community organizer who lives in Cedar-Riverside, a Minneapolis
neighborhood with one of the largest East African communities in the country, said the
presence of military vehicles and armed soldiers was terrifying. He said the terror strikes
particularly sharply at the city’s many immigrants who fled violence for the safety of the United
States.
“I don’t know anybody that experienced and lived through something like that, that feels
comfortable coming outside,” he said. “To be faced with the violent image of somebody
dressed in all that camouflage, sort of parading around those massive weapons — is unsettling
for sure.”
But plenty of others believe the city needs to be ready for trouble.
The Rev. Ian Bethel, a leader in the city’s Black church community, sounded almost angry
Monday as he spoke alongside the law enforcement officials.
“We’re at a difficult time here, all of us having emotions, anxieties and stress that most of us
have not been able yet to express in a proper way,” he said. “But let me make this clear: One
way you do not express whatever you got tied up in you is through violence.”
On Monday afternoon, soon after lawyers’ closing arguments and the Chauvin case going to
the jury, about 300 protesters marched outside the courthouse.
State officials ask for calm, say law enforcement ready as world waits for
Chauvin verdict (KTOE)
By Ashley Hanley
As Minnesotans and the world await a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, top elected officials
are pleading for calm, while pledging a stepped-up law enforcement presence will keep the
peace if necessary.
Governor Tim Walz is asking the legislature for nine million dollars for extra security, but says
lawmakers must also pass additional police reforms:
“We have to have that change. We can’t live like this. We cannot continue to live like this.”
Walz contends more police reforms are necessary and says to the legislature:
“Don’t find a reason you need to go home, don’t find a reason to adjourn, and don’t say it’s
hard. ‘Hard’ is Katie Wright having to stand in front of the press, and the shame that all of us
should feel to watch her talk about why her son died.”
Walz is requesting nine million dollars for extra security, but says lawmakers must also approve
additional police reforms, plus other measures:
“If we can figure out a way to fund to get ready for this so that we don’t burn down our
buildings, then we can find the money to fund summer school.”
The governor was asked, should President Biden address the nation after the Chauvin verdict is
announced?
“I… would not be presumptuous enough to give the president of the United States advice, but I
think it would be helpful.”
Walz says he hopes the president uses the authority of the White House and the compassion
people have seen from him to address the nation and ask for calm.
Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says more police reforms are badly needed, but…
“Like so many other local communities who are leaning into that work, our progress in Saint
Paul is stifled by state and federal elected officials, who again and again block meaningful policy
reform.”
Carter says there must be changes to how law enforcement handles traffic stops… cash bail
must be eliminated… and qualified legal immunity for peace officers must end.
Carter decries not only police brutality but also violent demonstrations, saying:
“We can best stop protests over police killings of unarmed black men, by stopping police
killings of unarmed black men.”
Carter:
“As we renounce officers who… inflict bodily harm on black and brown bodies,… so too must
we renounce those who bricks and stones at police.”
…and those who hurl unprovoked insults at teachers, plumbers, electricians and others who
stand forward as National Guard members.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says those who exercise their lawful First Amendment rights will
be protected, but…
“We cannot have people that seek to use peaceful protesters as cover to cause destruction in
our city. That will not be tolerated.”
Frey says peace “must propel us forward to a better version of our city, to a better version of
ourselves.”
Cities brace for violence as Derek Chauvin verdict looms (CBS News)
Minneapolis is preparing for the worst as the jury meets to deliberate a verdict in former police
officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial. Some 3,000 National Guard troops are deployed across
downtown and throughout Minnesota.
Two Guard members were slightly injured early Sunday when someone fired into their
Humvee. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for calm and
said violence will not be tolerated.
The precautions are intended to head off the kind of riots that destroyed $350 million in
property last summer when George Floyd was killed. Outside the courthouse are fences,
plywood and a strong security presence.
Similar steps are underway across the country, including in Beverly Hills, which is stepping up
patrols, and Philadelphia, where boards are covering windows. At least six states and
Washington, D.C., have made requests for help from the National Guard.
But Minneapolis is the trial's location and the likely epicenter for any protests. Local law
enforcement says it's ready.
"The number one focus for us is deescalation. We don't want to use force if we don't have to,"
said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.
The killing of Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center has added to an already tense
environment. Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong has been at protests in both cities.
"Who are they protecting? They are certainly not protecting peaceful demonstrators"
Armstrong said.
Minneapolis business owners express mixed feelings to National Guard
presence (KARE 11)
By Heidi Wigdahl
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — From Hennepin Avenue to Lake Street, there's an increased
presence of Minnesota National Guard service members outside businesses in Minneapolis.
Last Wednesday, more than a dozen soldiers were set up outside Two Bettys Green Cleaning
Service's Refill Station on East Lake Street.
Their presence came as a surprise to the staff member who was working at Two Bettys at the
time.
"The guardsmen have big weapons, like across the outside of their body with their hands on
the weapon, and the staff member that was here turned off all the lights and ran and hid
because it was really frightening," said Anna Tsantir, owner of Two Bettys.
When Minneapolis had a 10 p.m. curfew last week following the killing of Daunte Wright,
Tsantir said their cleaners who work late expressed not feeling safe.
"Cleaners who are out past curfew because we do commercial buildings expressed how it felt
to be out at night when there's nobody out on the roads except police and National Guard. So
they asked, 'If I get pulled over, there's nobody to witness. I don't want to be out with only
police and guard right now,'" Tsantir recalled.
"We're bringing them all back before 10 which has been a big disruption but we'll happily do
that to keep the cleaners feeling safer too," Tsantir said.
While some business owners are not happy about the increased police presence, others are
comforted by their visibility throughout the city.
Moh Habib, owner of STUDIIYO23 on Hennepin Avenue in Uptown, said his art gallery and
sneaker+apparel boutique has been hit three times by looters since last May. The shop was
looted twice after George Floyd's death and a third time after Daunte Wright's.
"The entire evening sets of one, two, three cars would pull up and look at us. Some people
actually got out thinking we were also looting to try and get in," Habib recalled.
After last year's looting, it took him seven months to rebuild. The store opened about two
weeks ago only to have to close again last Sunday.
As far as how he feels about the National Guard's presence in Uptown, Habib said, "Had you
asked me over a week ago my reply would've been different. At that time, I would've said...
having a militarized presence and army personnel in full gear is a little unsightly."
But after being looted again, Habib recalled how he and five friends protected the boutique
and the rest of the block for the remainder of the night.
"I feel much differently. I think the National Guard presence here is a stabilizing force," Habib
said.
More than 3,000 National Guard members are part of Operation Safety Net's Phase 3.
According to OSN, a majority of the members activated are from the Twin Cities metro area.
"If we don't learn from history, we are foolish. If we look at the history of May and June, we
had some challenges with our public safety, emergency services," said Major General Shawn
Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General.
Governor Tim Walz also addressed the extra law enforcement during a press conference on
Monday. He talked about the systemic racism in Minnesota that needs to be addressed and
said, "We need to fix those other things so we don't have to end up with National Guard on our
streets but I cannot allow those businesses to burn."
Tsantir said, "I just think we really have to be careful when we're only talking about the
property. Sure there's 20 property owners on this block but there are hundreds of employees
that have to go in and out and that I'm asking to go out into the city. So we really need to
balance property and people."
Habib said he's unsure when STUDIIYO23 will be able to reopen but they are committed to
staying in the neighborhood. Since last May, they've launched a scholarship program to help
high school students pursue either higher education and/or a skilled trade.
From his boarded up shop, Habib said, "We just need to come together to try and move past all
of this."
Flags half-staff for Minnesotan and former Vice President Mondale
(International Falls Journal)
All Minnesota flags will fly at half-staff until sunset on the day of the interment of former Vice
President Walter Frederick Mondale, to honor his life and legacy, ordered Gov. Tim Walz last
night.
Minnesota joins states across the nation, in accordance with a proclamation issued by
President Joe Biden, in lowering its flags to honor Vice President Walter Mondale. Individuals,
businesses, and other organizations are also encouraged to join in lowering their flags.
Walz Monday released the following statement on the death of Mondale:
“Today, Minnesota and the nation mourn the loss of a beloved public servant. Gwen and I
mourn the loss of a dear friend and mentor.”
“Walter Mondale believed in and worked to create a nation with a heart, a soul, and a
conscience. He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and
women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for
those values until the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue
the fight.”
“We will miss terribly Fritz Mondale, the steady voice and vision setter for ideas great and
small, people powerful and powerless, and justice waiting to be revealed.”
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released the following statement:
“One of my earliest memories was telling my kindergarten classmates to go home and tell their
parents to vote for Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. I’m so proud Minnesota
was there for him that day.”
“For me, Vice President Walter Mondale wasn’t just the nice guy on TV who served ably as
Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator and Vice President. It was like he was part of our
family. My grandmother, Mary Hartmann, was so involved in DFL politics when Walter Mondale
was coming up that Walter delivered a message for her funeral. The first campaign I ever
worked on was for Senator Paul Wellstone, and when Paul died, Mondale was there to stand in
his stead on the ballot.”
“My mother, who worked on Hubert Humphrey’s campaign for president in 1968, instilled in
me that government and elected leaders should work to make people’s lives better. That was
Walter Mondale. We don’t always get it right, but he succeeded more than not.”
“The last time we spoke, Mondale had only encouraging words for me – perhaps knowing how
hard it is sometimes to be in public office. The nicest thing he ever said was that my
grandmother would be really proud of me.”
“Walter Mondale was an inspiration and mentor to generations of people in Minnesota and
across this country who went on to serve the public in any number of ways. His death in this
week of trauma for Minnesota calls us to our better angels and reminds us that, for all our
humanly faults, we must never stop trying to do better by people.”
“Thank you for everything, Fritz. I’m smiling thinking about the reunion you’re having with Joan
and Eleanor.”
Walter Mondale: Politicians Honor ‘One Of Minnesota’s Proudest Sons’
(WCCO)
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Tributes are pouring in for Walter Mondale — the former Vice
President, U.S. Senator, Minnesota attorney general, ambassador and Democratic presidential
candidate — who passed away Monday at his Minneapolis home at age 93.
Former President Jimmy Carter, whom Mondale served under as vice president from 1977 to
1981, said he considers Mondale “the best vice president” in U.S. history.
“Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a
dynamic, policy-driving force that has never been seen before and still exists today,” Carter
said. “Fritz Mondale provided us all with a model for public service and private behavior.”
In a statement released late Monday evening, President Joe Biden said Mondale was one of the
first people to greet him when he arrived in the U.S. Senate in 1973.
“There have been few senators, before or since, who commanded such universal respect … It
was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide
a model for my service,” Biden said.
Former President Barack Obama also acknowledged Mondale’s transformative tenure as vice
president.
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she recently spoke with Mondale and
thanked him for his service.
“Vice President Mondale was so generous with his wit and wisdom over the years,” Harris said.
“I will miss him dearly, and my heart is with his family today. I hope they find comfort knowing
that he is with his beloved wife, Joan, and daughter, Eleanor, now — and that his legacy will
live on in all of us.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Mondale “believed in and worked to create a nation with a
heart, a soul, and a conscience.”
Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale (credit: CBS)
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said she is “grateful to have known” Mondale, who she considered
“a true friend.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote in a statement Monday that Mondale was “a true public servant in
every sense of the word.”
“Walter Mondale taught me that leadership isn’t all about giving soaring speeches and punchy
sound bites — but actually getting things done for people,” Klobuchar said.
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig calls Mondale “one of Minnesota’s proudest sons.”
Rep. Dean Phillips said Mondale was an “extraordinary mentor.”
Rep. Betty McCollum took to social media to honor Mondale, saying Minnesota was “blessed”
to have him “provide us with a lifetime of service.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar hailed Mondale for being “an advocate of peace, fair housing, women’s rights
and consumer protection.” She also quoted his statement on last year’s unrest following the
death of George Floyd.
“The battle for civil rights is a journey, not an end point. Each generation is tasked with the
hard work of serving in the great fight for justice. Our neighbors who took to the streets over
the past few weeks have joined a great cause. I thank them,” Mondale said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Mondale “put a Minnesota stamp on national politics.”
Mondale’s cause of death was not disclosed. He is survived by is two sons, Ted and William.
‘An Extraordinary Life of Service’: Jimmy Carter, Kamala Harris, and More Pay
Tribute to Walter Mondale (Media ITE)
By Gideon Taaffe
[MENTION] Another official on that phone call, Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, spoke of
Mondale’s vision for America.
He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and women who build
our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for those values until
the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue the fight.
Walter Mondale: Presidents Biden And Carter Lead Tributes To Former Vice
President Following His Death At 93 (FORBES)
[MENTION] On Sunday, Mondale spoke on the phone with President Biden and former
Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov.
Tim Walz, Axios reported. Mondale also wrote a final goodbye email to 320 staffers who had
worked with him for over four decades. Mondale reportedly told them how much they meant
to him and affirmed his belief that they would keep up “the good fight” and acknowledged “Joe
in the White House certainly helps.” The email was sent out to the staffers following his death.
MINNESOTA POLITICIANS GIVE STATEMENTS ON THE PASSING OF WALTER
MONDALE (KROX)
Former Vice President, Presidential nominee, U.S. Senator, and Minnesota Attorney General,
Walter Mondale has passed away at the age of 93.
Mondale was Vice President to Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981, and lost a presidential bid to
Ronald Reagan in 1984.
Mondale was born in Ceylon, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota in
1951 after attending Macalester College. He then served in the United States Army during the
Korean War before earning a law degree in 1956. Mondale was appointed Minnesota Attorney
General in 1960 and was elected to a full term in 1962.
Mondale was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor upon the resignation of Senator
Hubert Humphrey following Humphrey’s election as vice president in 1964. Mondale was
elected to a full Senate term in 1966 and reelected in 1972, resigning in 1976 as he prepared to
succeed to the vice presidency in 1977.
Minnesota politicians have given statements on Mondale’s passing and they are below.
Governor Tim Walz today released the following statement on the death of Vice President
Walter Mondale:
“Today, Minnesota and the nation mourn the loss of a beloved public servant. Gwen and I
mourn the loss of a dear friend and mentor. Walter Mondale believed in and worked to create
a nation with a heart, a soul, and a conscience. He believed that the greatness of America is
found in the everyday men and women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its
freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for those values until the very end of his life, imploring each
of us through his example to continue the fight,” said Governor Walz. “We will miss terribly
Fritz Mondale, the steady voice and vision setter for ideas great and small, people powerful and
powerless, and justice waiting to be revealed.”
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released the following statement:
“For me, Vice President Walter Mondale wasn’t just the nice guy on TV who served ably as
Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator and Vice President. It was like he was part of our
family. The last time we spoke, Mondale had only encouraging words for me – perhaps
knowing how hard it is sometimes to be in public office. The nicest thing he ever said was that
my grandmother would be really proud of me,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “Walter
Mondale was an inspiration and mentor to generations of people in Minnesota and across this
country who went on to serve the public in any number of ways. His death in this week of
trauma for Minnesota calls us to our better angels and reminds us that, for all our humanly
faults, we must never stop trying to do better by people.”
U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement on the passing of Vice President
Walter Mondale:
“I loved Walter Mondale and I’m not the only one. Mondale was a giant not only because of
the positions he held—Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator, Vice President, Democratic
Presidential candidate and Ambassador—but because of the work that he did. He provided his
strong, compassionate, clear, and fearless voice to the world for over six decades, and he never
stopped. Whether it was working with Marian Wright Edelman to lift children out of poverty,
fighting to repair the damage of housing discrimination with the Fair Housing Act, or
persistently pushing us to protect precious places like the St. Croix River and our beloved
Boundary Waters, he charted an unwavering path. He was also a true friend, full of lively
questions, incisive and hysterically funny commentary, advice offered with his unique dry wit,
birthdays remembered and lunches shared, preferably with onion rings. He deeply loved all his
family with the best gift a father can give, unconditional love, expressed with classic Mondale
understatement: ‘Keep up the good work.’ I am bereft and so grateful to have known him. May
his memory be a blessing and a reminder to do good work and love life.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar said the following –
Walter Mondale was a true public servant and my friend and mentor. He set a high bar for
himself and kept passing it and raising it, passing it and raising it. As Minnesota Attorney
General, Senator, Vice President, Ambassador and Presidential candidate he was kind and
dignified to the end,” said Klobuchar. “On the wall of the Carter Library is a quote of Walter
Mondale’s at the end of their time in office: “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept
the peace.” That pretty much sums up Walter Mondale’s life and service.”
Walter Mondale remembered for decency, sweep of accomplishments (Star
Tribune)
By Patrick Condon and Hunter Woodall
Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale was remembered Monday as a towering figure in
Minnesota's public life and a leading influence on Democratic politics in the final decades of the
last century.
Mondale "led an extraordinary life of service — in uniform during the Korean War, as a
Senator, and as Vice President," Vice President Kamala Harris posted on Twitter. She said she
spoke to him a few days ago and thanked him for his service.
Tributes poured in on social media and in news releases from politicians of both parties in the
hours following the announcement from Mondale's family that he had died.
"Walter Mondale believed in the power of government to make a positive difference in
people's lives, and proved it at every stage of his remarkable career — with deep policy
knowledge, a tireless work ethic, and uncommon decency," former President Bill Clinton
posted on Twitter. "Hillary and I loved him and will miss him very much."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who interned in the vice president's office under Mondale, said
that he "taught me that leadership isn't all about giving soaring speeches and punchy sound
bites — but actually getting things done for people," she said.
"I loved Walter Mondale and I'm not the only one," said U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who also had
close personal ties. The Democrat said Mondale "provided his strong, compassionate, clear,
and fearless voice to the world for over six decades, and he never stopped."
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., also praised him. "Walter Mondale was a fixture in Minnesota
politics — but more importantly, he was a kind and decent man," Emmer tweeted. GOP Sen.
Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote on Twitter that "Mondale spoke the values of Minnesota and
loved his state like I do Iowa."
A son of southwestern Minnesota, Mondale rose to the forefront of U.S. political power serving
alongside former President Jimmy Carter. In 1984, he was the Democratic candidate for
president, but lost to President Ronald Reagan.
"Walter Mondale believed in and worked to create a nation with a heart, a soul, and a
conscience," Gov. Tim Walz said. "He believed that the greatness of America is found in the
everyday men and women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms."
As Ken Martin, chairman of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, pointed out, Mondale
also left a huge mark on policy in a dozen years in the U.S. Senate.
"In our nation's 245-year struggle to build a more perfect union, few have contributed as much
to that cause as Walter Mondale," Martin said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said that Mondale remained an inspiration and guide for
generations of progressives long past his time in office.
"Even in his twilight years, he remained a vocal advocate for progressive values and a voice of
moral clarity," Omar said.
She noted that his death comes as Minnesota waits for a verdict in the murder trial of former
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
"I am reminded of Vice President Mondale's words last summer: 'The battle for civil rights is a
journey, not an end point,' " Omar said.
In her statement, Klobuchar highlighted insightful words from her "friend and mentor."
"On the wall in the Carter Museum are Mondale's powerful words: 'We told the truth. We
obeyed the law. We kept the peace.' Those words summarize his life — he had a strong moral
core that defined his every action, from how he treated people to his willingness to fight hard
for policy that would improve the lives of Americans," Klobuchar said. "That is the standard that
we must hold ourselves to every day."
Mondale remembered as effective policymaker, public servant (KSTP)
[MENTION] "Walter Mondale believed in and worked to create a nation with a heart, a soul,
and a conscience. He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and
women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for
those values until the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue
the fight." — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
"Walter Mondale was an inspiration and mentor to generations of people in Minnesota and
across this country who went on to serve the public in any number of ways. His death in this
week of trauma for Minnesota calls us to our better angels and reminds us that, for all our
humanly faults, we must never stop trying to do better by people." — Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy
Flanagan.
Walter Mondale, Carter's Vice President and Democratic Presidential
Candidate, Dies (Newsweek)
By Scott McDonald
[MENTION] Carter on Monday night recognized Mondale's service to Minnesota.
"He was an invaluable partner and and an able servant of the people of Minnesota, the United
States and the world" Carter stated. "Fritz Mondale provided us with a model of public service
and public behavior."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted Monday night that his state was mourning the loss of
Mondale.
"Today, Minnesota and the nation mourn the loss of a beloved public servant. Gwen and I
mourn the loss of a dear friend and mentor. ... Walter Mondale believed in and worked to
create a nation with a heart, a soul, and a conscience.
"He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and women who build
our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for those values until
the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue the fight," the
governor continued.
Former senator, vice president leaves staff a touching farewell (The Atlanta
Journal Constitution)
[MENTION] “Walter Mondale believed in and worked to create a nation with a heart, a soul,
and a conscience. He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and
women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for
those values until the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue
the fight.” — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Former Vice President Walter Mondale dies at age 93 (The Hill)
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who was also the Democratic nominee for president in
1984, died on Monday at the age of 93.
Kathy Tunheim, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed the former vice president’s death in
an email to The Hill. Axios first reported the news of Mondale’s death.
According to Tunheim, Mondale died peacefully of natural causes at his home in downtown
Minneapolis at 7:21 p.m. while surrounded by his immediate family.
Prior to serving as vice president during former President Carter’s single term in the White
House, Mondale represented Minnesota in the Senate for 12 years. Before that, he was
Minnesota’s attorney general for four years. Mondale also held a post in the Clinton
administration, serving as ambassador to Japan.
Mondale was the recipient of many calls and messages from friends and current and former
public officials in his final days, according to Tunheim.
Axios on Monday evening reported that Mondale spoke with President Biden, Vice President
Harris, former presidents Carter and Clinton, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) by phone on
Sunday as his health was fading. He also spoke to his friend and former campaign staffer Tom
Cosgrove.
According to Axios, Mondale sent a final goodbye email to 320 staffers, spanning more than
four decades, to express how much they meant to him, adding that he knew that they would
keep up “the good fight.”
“Before I Go I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. Never has a public servant
had a better group of people working at their side! Together we have accomplished so much
and I know you will keep up the good fight,” Mondale wrote, according to Axios, which
obtained a copy of the email.
“Joe in the White House certainly helps,” Mondale continued before signing the note from
“Fritz.”
The message, Axios noted, was prepared to be sent upon his death.
Cosgrove told Axios that Mondale was relieved after Biden won over former President Trump
in the 2020 election, telling Axios that “there was a difference after the inauguration -- a letting
go” and adding that “there was a big exhale of relief.”
Mondale made history during his time in politics. He became the first major-party candidate to
select a female running mate, tapping former New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro to join him on
the Democratic ticket.
Jimmy Carter remembers Mondale as 'best vice president in our country...
Mondale in last message to staff: 'Joe in the White House certainly...
Additionally, Mondale was the first vice president to have an office in the White House, leading
to unprecedented, frequent access to the president, according to the Wilson Center.
Mondale was married to his wife, Joan Mondale, from 1955 until her death in 2014. He is
survived by his two sons, Ted and William Mondale, in addition to a brother and six
grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Eleanor.
Former vice president Walter Mondale dies at 93 (The Independent)
[MENTION] The former Senator, ambassador and Minnesota attorney general, spoke with Joe
Biden and former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as vice president Kamala
Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Sunday, after which his family said he had “perked
up.”
No cause was given for Mondale’s death.
In a goodbye email to 320 staffers who worked for him over a 40 year period, Mondale urged
them to keep up “the good fight,” according to Axios.
Walter Mondale remembered. What U.S. and Minnesota leaders are saying
(Pioneer Press)
[MENTION] Minnesota’s governor noted Mondale’s work to create “a nation with a heart, a
soul and a conscience. He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men
and women who build our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought
tirelessly for those values until the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his
example to continue the fight.
“We will miss terribly Fritz Mondale, the steady voice and vision setter for ideas great and
small, people powerful and powerless, and justice waiting to be revealed.”
Former Vice President Walter Mondale dies at 93 (KSTP)
By Kyle Brown
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, one of the architects of Minnesota's liberal tradition,
has died, his family announced Monday. He was 93.
Along with Hubert Humphrey in the 1960s, Mondale put Minnesota on the map as a reliably
blue state.
Mondale started his career in Washington in 1964, when he was appointed to the Senate to
replace Humphrey, who had resigned to become vice president. Mondale was elected to a full
six-year term with about 54% of the vote in 1966, although Democrats lost the governorship
and suffered other election setbacks. In 1972, Mondale won another Senate term with nearly
57% of the vote.
In 1976, he was elected as President Jimmy Carter's vice president — a Southern governor
nicknamed "Grits" to go along with Mondale's nickname of "Fritz." The duo lost their reelection
bid to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush in 1980.
In an Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, former Vice President Walter Mondale, a former Minnesota
senator, gestures while speaking at a Students for Obama rally at the University of Minnesota's
McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided
presidential election after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died
Monday, April 19, 2021. He was 93.
In an Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, former Vice President Walter Mondale, a former Minnesota
senator, gestures while speaking at a Students for Obama rally at the University of Minnesota's
McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided
presidential election after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died
Monday, April 19, 2021. He was 93.
In a statement Monday night, Carter said he considered Mondale "the best vice president in
our country's history." He added: "Fritz Mondale provided us all with a model for public service
and private behavior."
Flashback Friday: Walter Mondale reflects on Humphrey, McCarthy and 1968 Democratic
Convention chaos
In 1984, Mondale was the Democratic presidential nominee, along with running mate
Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman. Reagan won every state except Minnesota.
Mondale retired from running races and started backing other Minnesota political figures,
standing behind Paul Wellstone as he was sworn into office as a U.S. senator in 1991.
When a plane crash killed Wellstone on Oct. 25, 2002, Mondale stepped in to take his place on
the ballot. Mondale's five-day campaign wasn't enough to win against Republican Norm
Coleman, who was elected by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes.
Mondale was born Jan. 5, 1928, in the southern Minnesota town of Ceylon to parents
Theodore and Claribel Mondale.
Gov. Tim Walz tweeted about the passing of the Minnesota politician, calling him "a dear friend
and mentor."
"He believed that the greatness of America is found in the everyday men and women who build
our nation, do its work, and defend its freedoms. And he fought tirelessly for those values until
the very end of his life, imploring each of us through his example to continue the fight," Walz
said on social media.
Walz ordered all Minnesota flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings until Mondale's
burial.
Monday evening, Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin shared a message that Mondale had
sent to his staff prior to his passing.
President Joe Biden said of Mondale: "There have been few senators, before or since, who
commanded such universal respect. ... It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency
as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service."
The statement from the family can be read below:
It is with profound sadness that we share news that our beloved dad passed away today in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As proud as we were of him leading the presidential ticket for Democrats in 1984, we know
that our father's public policy legacy is so much more than that. The Fair Housing Act of 1968
was one of his proudest – and hardest fought – achievements. In the course of his years in the
U.S. Senate, he understood the sense of reckoning that this country then faced, and was
committed to that work alongside Hubert Humphrey, Josie Johnson, Roy Wilkins and so many
others. We are grateful that he had the opportunity to see the emergence of another
generation of civil rights reckoning in the past months.
It is also poignant that his other area of major policy focus was the environment, as the world's
grappling with climate change enters a new generation of critical work. Passage of the Wild &
Scenic Rivers Act was another hard-fought accomplishment in his long career.
He was honored to serve as Minnesota's Attorney General, as United States Senator from
Minnesota, as U.S. Ambassador to Japan; his greatest honor and privilege, of course, was
serving as Vice President of the United States under President Jimmy Carter.
Beyond his commitment to public service, our dad was committed to our family, and we will
miss him more than words can capture. He was preceded in death by our sister, Eleanor, and
our mother. He is survived by sons Ted and William; grandchildren Louis, Amanda, Berit and
Charlotte Mondale, and Cassandra and Danielle Miller; daughter-in-law Rebecca Mondale and
son-in-law Chan Poling.
We also want to express our deep gratitude to all the people who worked on his staff in each
public office and who maintained active connections with him in the years since. Finally, deep
appreciation to Lynda Pedersen, his long-standing executive assistant at the Dorsey Law firm
and to Patti Schwartz, his primary homecare provider since the passing of our mother, Joan, in
2014.
Minneapolis law enforcement pledges ‘de-escalation’ should protests follow
Chauvin verdict as tactics draw scrutiny (The Washington Post)
By Kim Bellware and Marisa Iati
MINNEAPOLIS — As protests against police violence roil a suburb and jurors deliberate in the
trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, law enforcement here sought Monday to
show solidarity with community activists and emphasize that they intend to prioritize de-
escalation in the coming days.
“Our goal is de-escalation and non-confrontation at all chances,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D)
told reporters.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said at a separate news conference that
Operation Safety Net, an eight-month-old coalition formed by state and local law enforcement
to manage community response to the Chauvin trial, “is not about arresting people.” The
agencies want to avoid using force during protests unless absolutely necessary, Arradondo said.
“We know that we have a city that is mourning, that is in grief,” he said. “The last thing we
want to do is turn this into an enforcement situation.”
While there are no statewide or regional curfews, nor one in Minneapolis, Walz said
implementing a curfew remains an option for crowd control if circumstances change. Brooklyn
Center, a Minneapolis suburb where 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed during a
traffic stop on April 11, has been under a curfew for several days because of unrest.
The law enforcement response to the public’s reaction to the Chauvin verdict will serve as a
litmus test for whether officials have made good on promises to rebuild trust with communities
after widespread protests last summer. The Minneapolis area is on edge this week as residents
await a decision in Chauvin’s murder trial in the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd.
Minneapolis braces for unrest as Derek Chauvin trial enters final phase
Recent protests over the death of Wright, who was Black, have also heightened tensions, and
law enforcement in the region has faced scrutiny in recent days for its response to those
events.
Aggressive police tactics have injured dozens of protesters and journalists in the past week.
Police have used “less lethal” munitions, including chemical irritants, rubber bullets and stun
grenades — also known as flash-bangs — to control the crowds. Several journalists have
reported being punched, beaten in the legs, forced to the ground and arrested by police,
despite identifying themselves as members of the news media and showing officers their
credentials.
The turmoil has been especially hazardous for residents of an apartment complex adjacent to
Brooklyn Center police headquarters, where most of the demonstrations have taken place.
Tenants, many of them low-income and Black, have reported rashes and nosebleeds and said
they are unable to sleep because of the fumes and noise.
Outcry over the police tactics intensified so much that a federal judge issued a restraining order
late Friday barring police in Brooklyn Center from arresting journalists, using force against
them, destroying their equipment or compelling them to disperse.
A letter sent Saturday to Walz on behalf of more than two dozen press advocacy groups and
news organizations, including The Washington Post, called on the Minnesota State Patrol to
embrace the language of the temporary restraining order and halt arrests and physical assaults
against reporters.
Asked Monday whether police have escalated tensions with demonstrators, Walz called it “a bit
of a chicken and an egg.”
“I think it starts to feed on itself,” Walz said. He said the vast majority of protesters expressing
their anger tell elected officials like him that if they don’t fix the underlying factors, they will
continue to face people protesting in the streets.
“I think Mayor Carter probably got that right: ‘If you don’t want to see people demonstrating
about Black men being killed, then figure out how to not get Black men killed,’ ” Walz said,
referring to an observation by Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter (D).
Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson on Monday simultaneously defended his
department and conceded that his officers’ response in Brooklyn Center was not ideal.
“We know we have to do better,” he told reporters. “What happened the past few days wasn’t
something we wanted. But we had to act to keep the city safe.”
Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said about 130 state troopers from Ohio and Nebraska
will come to Minneapolis to assist the police response after the Chauvin verdict. While he said
the troopers would be trained in Minnesota’s use-of-force law, he acknowledged that they are
not subject to the temporary restraining order, as other law enforcement agencies are.
Representatives of several community and activist groups joined police at that news
conference and stressed that any response to the verdict should be peaceful. The Rev. Ian
Bethel of New Beginnings Baptist Tabernacle said protesters “stand with law enforcement” and
should demand from one another the same accountability they are demanding from police.
Journalists beaten, pepper-sprayed, arrested as Minnesota police out of
control at protests (Fox News)
[MENTION] "Apologies are not enough; it just cannot happen," said Minnesota’s Democratic
governor, Tim Walz. He told a CBS station that the assault on media over the last few years has
been "chilling." So why doesn’t he do something about it? He sounds like a bystander.
Minneapolis freelance photographer Tim Evans said on social media that police sprayed him in
the face with pepper spray, tackled to the ground, and even after showing his press badge, an
officer "punched me in the face, tore off my badge, and threw it in the dirt."
Minneapolis freelance photographer Tim Evans said on social media that police sprayed him in
the face with pepper spray, tackled to the ground, and even after showing his press badge, an
officer "punched me in the face, tore off my badge, and threw it in the dirt."
Ohio State Highway Patrol sends 100 troopers to Minnesota as verdict nears
in Derek Chauvin trial (Cincinnati Enquirer)
The Ohio State Highway Patrol sent 100 troopers to Minneapolis on Monday to assist with
protests and potential unrest following the conclusion of the Derek Chauvin trial.
Troopers will "be present to keep people safe and protect property," patrol spokesman Lt. Sgt.
Craig Cvetan said. Cvetan did not disclose how long troopers will be deployed, citing security
concerns. But the cost will be reimbursed by Minnesota.
"Our goal is the same as it is here, to work with our law enforcement partners to keep people
safe, to protect property and still allow everyone to exercise their constitutional rights safely,"
Cvetan said. "Ohio troopers are always prepared to respond to incidents in the interest of
public safety, whether it’s here in Ohio or when requested by another state."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz requested the extra enforcement after a week of demonstrations in
the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center to protest the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-
old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop.
Meanwhile, the murder trial of Chauvin, the former police officer charged in the 2020 death of
George Floyd, wrapped up Monday in Minneapolis. Jury deliberations began Monday evening,
and local officials urged the community to respond peacefully regardless of the verdict.
Minnesota lawmakers approved $2.8 million in emergency funding to pay for law enforcement
assistance from Ohio and other states, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. The Ohio
troopers are joined initially by 28 from the Nebraska Highway Patrol.
"Our hope is that we don't need them at all," Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said
during a news conference Monday.
Cvetan said the patrol considered concerns about responding to potential demonstrations in
Ohio before deploying troopers. The patrol has more than 1,500 troopers statewide.
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“We are confident we will be able to provide the necessary security and safety services here in
Ohio even with the deployment,” he said.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has been dispatched to assist other states in the past, and Ohio
has called on other states to help with large events. In 2016, hundreds of officers from several
states were in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention. Later that year, Ohio troopers
were sent to North Dakota where people were protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Walz requests public safety assistance from Ohio, Nebraska ahead of Chauvin
verdict (KTTC)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued a request for public safety help from
Ohio and Nebraska. The request comes ahead of an anticipated verdict in the Derek Chauvin
trial.
According to a news release from the governor's office, the request is under the federal
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
Walz is also asking the legislature to help fund the request.
According to the governor's office, state troopers from Ohio and Nebraska will be assigned to
security missions at key state facilities. Help from those troopers will allow the Minnesota State
Patrol to focus on Operation Safety Net operations in the metro area.
“I am grateful to our colleagues in Ohio and Nebraska for their willingness to provide assistance
and relief to our State troopers and law enforcement officers as they continue to work to keep
the peace in our communities,” said Walz in a news release.
Community on edge as jury deliberates in Derek Chauvin trial (Star Tribune)
By Reid Forgrave and Zoë Jackson
Three hundred and thirty days after George Floyd died on the corner of 38th Street and
Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and the state began a new period
Monday: a time of anxiety and uncertainty until a jury decides whether the police officer who
knelt on his neck is guilty of murder.
On the day that jurors began deliberations in the Derek Chauvin trial, with Minneapolis being
watched around the globe, Facebook declared the city a "high-risk location" and said it would
remove posts that incite violence or celebrate Floyd's death.
Locally, students walked out of class to protest racial injustice. Thousands of Minnesota
National Guard soldiers joined law enforcement in standing guard. Civil rights leaders the Revs.
Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson led a prayer outside the courthouse. And protests continued
over Daunte Wright's killing a week ago by a Brooklyn Center police officer.
The entire region remained on edge.
Kenza Hadj-Moussa, the public affairs director for TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide
progressive organization, said she believes the tension is made "1,000 times worse" by the
heavy military and law enforcement presence on Twin Cities streets in preparation for any
violence.
"It's just compounding the trauma, especially with what Black Minnesotans are going through
right now," she said.
"A guilty verdict won't bring justice, won't bring a life back," she continued. "But it's what do
we do after this? We do have agency, we do have power."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that the heavy police presence on the streets was
temporary: "We will get through this together."
Dave Bellows, the retired Dakota County sheriff and an instructor of criminal justice at Inver
Hills Community College, said he has faith the process will render a fair verdict. While everyone
he has spoken with believes Chauvin's actions were "clearly inappropriate," he said that it's up
to the jury to decide whether those actions were criminal.
He said he hopes people don't lump in all of law enforcement with Chauvin.
"Some people look at law enforcement as a monolith, that this is all law enforcement, and that
absolutely is not accurate," Bellows said. "Law enforcement agencies have been in reform for
many years. It's a constant reform."
But in the Twin Cities' Black community, the powerful imagery of this moment gives Chauvin's
trial outsized symbolism.
At Black Table Arts, a cooperative space for Black artists in Minneapolis, writer and activist
Jessica Garraway worked on homework for her master's degree during the trial's closing
statements.
"I think the state may throw Derek Chauvin under the bus as a way to maintain the legitimacy
of the police, which has been completely delegitimized in the eyes of the people of the Twin
Cities and really all over the world," Garraway said.
Minneapolis artist D.A. Bullock said it was hard to assess his feelings this week.
"I'm still nervous and still on edge," Bullock said. "Judging by the way the body responds to
pain, you kind of get numb at a point, but you're still feeling it."
Jai Hanson, a Bloomington police officer, said he hopes the aftermath of the trial will usher in a
chance for reform.
"The whole world and media is watching and expecting us to burn down our city," Hanson said.
"This affects us all. This is not us vs. them. … We have an opportunity where we can heal and
get reform accomplished, and that's a unique position to be in. Minnesota can lead the way on
that."
Gov. Tim Walz said in a Monday evening news conference that there will be rage regardless of
the outcome but it must be channeled toward positive change.
The governor and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul stressed two goals: That Minnesota
and the nation address racial inequality whatever the outcome of the trial and that people not
repeat last year's destruction.
"Rioting won't solve this problem," said Melvin Carter, St. Paul's mayor. "And looting won't
breathe life back into the bodies of our lost loved ones. We cannot cure harm by inflicting harm
on others."
Nicole Norfleet, Jessie Van Berkel and Maya Rao contributed.
Chauvin’s fate is now in the jury’s hands after closing arguments (Deccan
Herald)
[MENTION] Gov. Tim Walz called for calm on Monday as the jury began deliberations. He
declared a “peacetime emergency” to allow the police from neighbouring states to be called in
if necessary, joining more than 3,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen who hav...
US city on edge as jury deliberates Chauvin verdict (Report Door)
[MENTION] The footage of Mr Chauvin, who is white, restraining Mr Floyd, a black man, on the
floor as he shouted “I can’t breathe” spurred months of global protests in 2020.
On Monday the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, requested security assistance from the
states of Ohio and Nebraska ahead of the verdict.
The Democrat was heavily criticised after more than 1,000 buildings and businesses were
damaged in rioting last year.
In the early hours of Sunday, two National Guard members who were providing neighbourhood
security in Minneapolis escaped with minor injuries when they were shot at in a drive-by
shooting.
Operation Safety Net kicking into high gear ahead of Chauvin verdict (KTTC)
By Zack Fuller
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KTTC) -- With the jury now deliberating a potential verdict of former
Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, state and city leaders coupled with law enforcement
are now in Phase III of Operation Safety Net.
Phase III will feature the largest presence of law enforcement and national guard members
since the beginning of the trial.
The Minnesota National Guard alone has 3,000 soldiers and airmen activated in communities
to help assist law enforcement keep the peace.
Meanwhile the Minnesota State Patrol is spread so thin the state has asked for help from Ohio
and Nebraska.
While officials say they have learned from last summer's protests and riots, this past week's
events in Brooklyn Center showed them how to adapt their plan going forward as the jury
deliberates a verdict.
"We need help," said Minnesota State Patrol Chief Colonel Matt Langer.
He means community help. Monday, several members of the community came together to
speak to their commitment to help law enforcement keep the peace.
"We are in here together, working this out together," said New Beginnings Baptist Church and
Unity Community Team Co-Chair Rev. Ian Bethel. "Please, let's stop this violence that's going on
in our community. This is our community and as King said, let's keep it a beloved community."
Law enforcement thanked members of the community for helping to keep the peace during
the demonstrations following the death of Daunte Wright. as each member of the press
conference affirmed it will take everyone to remain calm no matter the outcome.
"We all need to relax. Law enforcement, citizens, everyone; we need to relax to get through
this week," Langer said.
"On top of the trauma of George Floyd's killing, we endured the widespread devastation of the
neighborhoods he loved," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "But rioting won't solve this
problem and looting won't breathe life back into our loved ones."
As of early Monday evening, there are no curfews in place for either Minneapolis or St. Paul.
However, Gov. Tim Walz said that still remains a tool that can be used to quell crowds.
Brooklyn Center has a curfew in effect for Monday starting at 11 p.m.
Walz declares emergency, brings in police backup from Ohio and Nebraska as
Chauvin verdict looms (KMSP)
Gov. Tim Walz has declared a state of emergency in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro and is
bringing in police backup from Ohio and Nebraska as a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial nears.
Full video coverage here.
Ohio State Highway Patrol sending troopers to Minnesota amid protests
(WLWT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
One hundred officers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol are in Minneapolis, assisting patrol as
a jury deliberates the case against former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd.
The officers will assist with protests and potential unrest as the trial concludes.
Ohio sent the troopers at the request of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota State
Patrol.
"When you're dealing with protests of this type, typically there aren't issues,” said Lt. Craig
Cvetan with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “When there are, we deal with the issues and
handle those issues. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a safe environment for people to voice
their opinion, and also to protect the property we're assigned to protect."
Cvetan was unable to say how long Ohio troopers will be needed in the state, adding much of it
depends on what unfolds over the next few days with the Chauvin verdict.
Gov. Tim Walz requests law enforcement help, funding (Red Lake Nation
News)
Gov. Tim Walz is marshaling law enforcement help from other states and asking the Legislature
for more funding as the state juggles the conclusion of the Derek Chauvin trial and tensions
over the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright.
The extra "surge capacity" of law enforcement is necessary to be prepared for a verdict in the
trial, officials said Monday, after deploying unexpected resources last week to respond to
protests in Brooklyn Center, where Wright was killed.
"We cannot allow civil unrest to descend into chaos. We must protect life and property," Walz
said, but he added state leaders must also listen to communities in pain and people on the
streets, "many of whom were arrested for speaking a fundamental truth that we must change,
or we will be right back here again."
JOURNALISTS AT MINNESOTA PROTESTS ARE ALLEGEDLY BEING HARASSED,
BEATEN, WRONGFULLY ARRESTED (Vanity Fair)
[MENTION] Responding to the allegations over the weekend, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
called the attacks “chilling” and pledged to correct the mistreatment, saying in a tweet that he
had “directed our law enforcement partners to make changes that will help ensure journalists
do not face barriers to doing their jobs.” In another Twitter statement, Walz wrote, “A free
press is foundational to our democracy.” The Minnesota State Police also responded to the
letter, vowing to “respect the rights of the media to cover protest activity” in a statement. “All
of these words and claims may be put to the test soon,” CNN’s Brian Stelter reports, adding:
“Unrest is no excuse to violate the First Amendment.”
Gov. Tim Walz requests law enforcement help, funding (Star Tribune)
By Briana Bierschbach and Jessie Van Berkel
Gov. Tim Walz is marshaling law enforcement help from other states and asking the Legislature
for more funding as the state juggles the conclusion of the Derek Chauvin trial and tensions
over the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright.
The extra "surge capacity" of law enforcement is necessary to be prepared for a verdict in the
trial, officials said Monday, after deploying unexpected resources last week to respond to
protests in Brooklyn Center, where Wright was killed.
"We cannot allow civil unrest to descend into chaos. We must protect life and property," Walz
said, but he added state leaders must also listen to communities in pain and people on the
streets, "many of whom were arrested for speaking a fundamental truth that we must change,
or we will be right back here again."
Chauvin faces murder charges in the death of George Floyd last May, which sparked
widespread unrest and destruction of buildings.
The Senate passed $9 million in emergency funding on Monday. It includes nearly $2.8 million
to pay for highway patrol help coming from other states, while another $6.3 million would
cover extra costs in Minnesota.
"Tensions are still really high. There's a lot of emotion involved," said Senate Majority Leader
Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake. "But the streets are safer. The buildings aren't burning, the
businesses aren't destroyed."
State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said during a news conference Monday that officials reviewed the
needs of Operation Safety Net, which is law enforcement's long-planned coordinated response
to the Chauvin trial, and the response to protests in Brooklyn Center.
"We've exhausted local resources in the current plan we had been building, and the realization
was that we needed additional resources," Langer said. They expect 128 state patrol members
from Ohio and Nebraska to come to Minnesota to help provide security around critical
infrastructure.
"Our hope is that we don't need them at all," Langer said, adding that they're planning for "the
absolute worst and then make darn sure we're doing everything we can to realize that never
happens."
But the funding, which passed on a 48-19 vote in the Senate, faces an uncertain future in the
House, where some Democrats have expressed growing frustration over tactics like tear gas
and rubber bullets used by law enforcement on protesters and journalists in Brooklyn Center.
"We know that some individuals took advantage of the civil unrest last year to engage in
criminal activities that destroyed livelihoods and neighborhood resources, and we need
sufficient law enforcement personnel to respond if individuals again seek to take advantage of
any civil unrest to commit criminal acts," House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park,
said in a statement. "At the same time, I remain concerned that individuals must have the
opportunity to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest and to provide
media coverage of public events."
Democrats in both chambers also called on Republicans to take up police accountability
measures that have so far been stalled in the Senate. Rep. Carlos Mariani, the chairman of the
House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee, said he has told the Walz
administration that for many House members, approval of the funding will be contingent on
Walz's "clear public support" for police reform and movement on the policing changes.
Mariani said despite the "horrible behavior" of law enforcement, particularly against the press,
he is open to the funding request if Walz is a leader on reform. "I and ninety percent of my
caucus are the only ones who have clear recorded votes for such a balanced approach,"
Mariani said.
Walz said he is grateful for the Senate's passage of the additional funding because he needs to
pay the salaries of law enforcement. "If we could just move one piece of reform with this," that
would be helpful for people who are hurting, Walz said. "And next week get another one, and
then keep going."
A similar divide between the House and Senate occurred when Walz previously proposed
creating a $35 million "SAFE Account" to help pay for the mutual aid costs of law enforcement
agencies that pitch in during emergencies in other communities, such as security needs around
the Chauvin trial.
The House failed to pass a bill in February that included the money and police accountability
provisions, with House Republicans and some DFL members rejecting the measure. The Senate
approved some money to support police offering mutual aid, but did not want to tie
accountability measures to the funds.
A handful of House Democrats are pushing for a statewide ban on using tear gas, pepper spray
and other nonlethal munitions against protesters. Meanwhile, the Senate GOP brought forward
a resolution Monday honoring the Minnesota National Guard, after members were kicked out
using a St. Paul union hall as a staging area last week.
Cities Brace For Violence As Derek Chauvin Verdict Looms (WSGW)
Minneapolis is preparing for the worst as the jury meets to deliberate a verdict in former police
officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial. Some 3,000 National Guard troops are deployed across
downtown and throughout Minnesota.
Two Guard members were slightly injured early Sunday when someone fired into their
Humvee. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for calm and
said violence will not be tolerated.
The precautions are intended to head off the kind of riots that destroyed $350 million in
property last summer when George Floyd was killed. Outside the courthouse are fences,
plywood and a strong security presence.
Similar steps are underway across the country, including in Beverly Hills, which is stepping up
patrols, and Philadelphia, where boards are covering windows. At least six states and
Washington, D.C., have made requests for help from the National Guard.
But Minneapolis is the trial’s location and the likely epicenter for any protests. Local law
enforcement says it’s ready.
“The number one focus for us is deescalation. We don’t want to use force if we don’t have to,”
said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.
The killing of Daunte Wright in nearby Brooklyn Center has added to an already tense
environment. Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong has been at protests in both cities.
“Who are they protecting? They are certainly not protecting peaceful demonstrators”
Armstrong said.
Opinion: The disturbing failure of Minnesota police to exercise restraint
during protests (The Washington Post)
DURING THE at-times violent unrest in Minnesota following the death of Daunte Wright, the
20-year-old Black man killed by a police officer in a traffic stop, some of the lawbreakers have
been protesters. Others have been the police themselves, who have subjected credentialed
journalists to unwarranted beatings, chemical irritants, detention and intimidation — even
after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order last Friday explicitly forbidding law
enforcement from using physical force and arresting journalists covering the protests.
Over the weekend, Gov. Tim Walz (D) acknowledged the police misconduct, committed by
Minnesota State Patrol officers as well as local police, saying, “Apologies are not enough; it just
cannot happen.”
But it did happen, repeatedly, and in some cases targeting Black journalists, specifically. Among
those subjected to violence and harassment are journalists affiliated with the New York Times,
CNN, the USA Today Network and Agence France-Presse.
Even as repeated violent encounters between officers, African Americans and others have
subverted public trust in law enforcement, the ongoing examples of misconduct in Minnesota
have further underlined the dangers posed by some police, who evidently feel that they are
above the law, unaccountable to the public and communities they serve. That is particularly
chilling as the state, and the country, brace for the possibility of further unrest following the
outcome of Derek Chauvin’s trial, the former Minneapolis officer charged with the death of
George Floyd.
The police failed to exercise restraint even as the nation’s eyes were upon them. Just hours
after U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright handed down the temporary restraining order,
officers in Brooklyn Center, the locality in suburban Minneapolis where the protests took place,
forced reporters to lie face down on the ground, then herded them into an area where they
and their credentials were photographed.
The judge acted following reports of journalists being beaten with batons and mistreated by
police. Tim Evans, a freelance photojournalist, said he was tackled by officers who punched him
in the face and sprayed him with a chemical agent even as he showed them his media
credentials. Another, Joshua Rashaad McFadden, who is Black, and covered the events for the
New York Times, said officers forced him from a vehicle as he was leaving the protests, and
beat him with batons.
On Saturday, Mr. Walz directed law enforcement agencies not to interfere with journalists
doing their work, which is to inform the public of events as they take place. The Minnesota
State Patrol issued a statement forbidding officers from arresting, threatening, or threatening
to arrest journalists covering the protests.
The question now is whether officers will comply with orders from a judge, a governor and
their own superiors to allow journalists to do their jobs.
Stop the attacks on working journalists (Star Tribune)
By Editorial Board
Journalists sometimes have to put themselves in harm's way to do their jobs. But when that
harm comes from law enforcement officers who have been showed proper credentials, when it
is deliberate and intentional, it is unconscionable and unacceptable.
On Friday a judge issued a temporary order barring law enforcement in Minnesota from using
physical force or chemical agents against journalists, or from seizing equipment journalists
need to do their jobs, including their press credentials. Within hours of that order, however,
journalists covering a Friday night protest in Brooklyn Center were rounded up and forced by
officers to lie on the ground on their stomachs. They were released only after having their faces
and press credentials photographed.
Reporters and photographers have been gassed with chemical spray at close range, shot with
rubber bullets and treated roughly even after showing identification. A photojournalist for the
New York Times, who is Black, said he was dragged from his vehicle by police and hit with
batons. A Star Tribune photojournalist was across the street from the action and behind a
fence when an officer shot his hand with a rubber bullet, breaking one of his fingers in two
places despite the protective gloves he was wearing. A CNN journalist, who is Asian, was
thrown to the ground, searched and detained for two hours before CNN was able to extricate
her. Another photojournalist was pepper-sprayed, tackled and hit in the face.
Gov. Tim Walz has denounced the incidents, expressing regret and embarrassment. On
Monday, Walz said, "We have got to get this right. ... We're not here to manage the press. They
are not meant to be managed." During chaotic events, he said, "that is the time it's most
important for press freedom and we're not getting it right." Earlier, the governor had called the
incidents "chilling," and said that "apologies are not enough. It just can't happen."
But it keeps happening. This is no one-off. Last May, during the riots and protests over George
Floyd's death, a CNN reporter was arrested during his live broadcast, when it was evident that
he was well away from the action, with few others around him. A journalist at that time was
blinded in one eye by an officer's rubber bullet, and others were injured, mistreated, arrested
and detained. Walz apologized then, too.
This time, news media outlets acted in concert to defend reporters and photographers,
meeting with Walz and other leaders. Since then, a directive has gone out from the State Patrol
to the many agencies involved in Operation Safety Net about respecting journalists and
assuring that they can do their jobs. In other words, to obey the judge's order. Officers cannot
subject journalists to curfew, and are prohibited from arresting, detaining, threatening or using
physical force against them. They may not spray those they have reason to believe are
reporters.
That's fine as far as it goes. But the State Patrol statement also said that the agency "has and
will continue to respect the rights of media to cover protest activity," and "has not and will not
target the media." That is a carefully worded statement that avoids characterizing the actions
of other law enforcement agencies or individual officers. The fact is that some members of law
enforcement have not respected the rights of media to cover protests, and have targeted
journalists. There should be an acknowledgment of those actions, to bring greater credibility to
any promise to do better.
We recognize the enormous complexity of this situation. Journalists have faced some hostility
from protesters as well. And two National Guard members were injured in a drive-by shooting
early Sunday morning.
All of this comes against the heightened tension of a jury verdict in the trial of former
Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, accused of George Floyd's murder. More Guard troops will
be deployed, along with law enforcement from other states. That makes it imperative that
Minnesota's policy on the treatment of journalists covering civil unrest is crystal clear.
Journalists will continue to do their jobs, even when it comes at the risk of their personal
safety. Law enforcement should not make that risk greater.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on racial inequity and press freedom (KARE 11)
In a briefing to discuss the public safety plan for the Derek Chauvin trial verdict, Governor Tim
Walz spoke about racial inequity and the freedom of the press.
Full video coverage here.
BLM protesters rally for ‘victim,’ leave after learning he was white (Fox News)
By Lee Brown
Black Lives Matter protesters in Minnesota dropped to a knee and set off to march over a fatal
police shooting — only to return when they learned it was a white carjacker who had fired at
police, according to reports.
Dozens of people protesting outside Gov. Tim Walz’s mansion in St. Paul on Sunday were
filmed by Fox 9 reporter Mitti Hicks as they knelt for a moment of silence over initial rumors
about Sunday’s 3 p.m. fatal shooting.
"Protestors kneel after hearing there was an officer-involved shooting in Burnsville moments
ago," Hicks tweeted of the wild, caught-on-camera armed carjacking in the suburbs.
"This information HAS NOT been confirmed but this group says they’re heading there," Hicks
said.
The man who was killed is believed to be a white man in his 20s who had stolen a car from a
woman at gunpoint — then repeatedly shot at cops as they chased him, Burnsville police said.
Traffic camera footage shared by KARE11 showed the suspect leaping out of the still-moving
stolen car, then running into the road and seemingly pointing his gun at an approaching SUV
before he was shot by "multiple" pursuing officers, police said.
The BLM marchers, riled by the local police-involved deaths of George Floyd and Daunte
Wright, soon appeared to get word that the latest shooting was not one fit for protest.
The protesters turned back and instead headed to Brooklyn Center — the city where Wright
died — "because they need more information about what happened in Burnsville first," Hicks
said in an update about an hour after her initial video.
Word of their planned protest after a rush to judgment quickly had the protesters ripped
online.
"For an armed carjacker?????? Are people this stupid????" one person replied to Hicks’ video,
while Amanda Felske said that the group planned to "just immediate loot /riot!!" without
getting the facts.
Brendan Hartmann, meanwhile, pointed out that the latest suspect had been shooting at
police.
"Are they kneeling for the amazing work these officers did to keep the community safe from a
mad man with a GUN," he asked of the protest group.
The Burnsville carjacker has yet to be identified. No police were injured and there were no
reports of any of the suspect’s victims being wounded, either.
"All Burnsville Police Officers wear body cameras and camera data will be handled by the
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) who will lead the investigation," the force
said.
Walz seeks $9M for out-of-state law enforcement as protests, unrest
continue (St. Peter Herald)
By Ricardo Lopez
The Minnesota Senate on Monday voted 48-19 to approve $9 million in emergency funding to
pay for out-of-state law enforcement assistance Gov. Tim Walz sought over the weekend.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, said Walz asked legislative leaders to
quickly approve the funding, adding that all four caucus leaders agreed to the request.
Walz on Sunday confirmed that he had requested assistance from other states as large protests
and demonstrations continued in Brooklyn Center as the murder trial of Derek Chauvin nears
its conclusion. Police and protestors have clashed over several nights at the Brooklyn Center
Police Department.
“As we think about some of the events that have been happening, we have to come together,”
Gazelka said. “Part of that, frankly, is supporting the police and the National Guard and the
work they are doing to keep our streets safe.”
The Senate voted to suspend the rules to allow a vote on the last-minute bill, which passed
despite objections Twin Cities-area Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers.
Walz in a statement said he had requested the out-of-state help through the federal
Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
“As the world awaits a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, we need support in our efforts to
preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting public safety,” said
Walz said in a statement. “I am grateful to our colleagues in Ohio and Nebraska for their
willingness to provide assistance and relief to our State troopers and law enforcement officers
as they continue to work to keep the peace in our communities.”
The Senate bill now moves to the House.
In a statement, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she intends to bring
the measure to a floor vote.
“We know that some individuals took advantage of the civil unrest last year to engage in
criminal activities that destroyed livelihoods and neighborhood resources, and we need
sufficient law enforcement personnel to respond if individuals again seek to take advantage of
any civil unrest to commit criminal acts,” she said. “At the same time, I remain concerned that
individuals must have the opportunity to exercise their first amendment rights to peacefully
protest and to provide media coverage of public events.”
Some House DFL members are already expressing misgivings about the emergency funding,
with at least one Minneapolis state representative, Aisha Gomez, saying she would vote no.
With Closing Arguments Finished, Chauvin’s Fate Is Now in Jury’s Hands (The
New York Times)
[MENTION] Gov. Tim Walz called for calm on Monday as the jury began deliberations. He
declared a “peacetime emergency” to allow the police from neighboring states to be called in if
necessary, joining more than 3,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen who have been
deployed to assist local law enforcement.
“Local and state resources have been fully deployed, but they are inadequate to address the
threat,” Mr. Walz said in an executive order.
Schools will move to remote learning later this week, and businesses have been boarded up
because of the potential for unrest following a verdict.
The fatal shooting of Mr. Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, in a suburb called Brooklyn Center
has cast a shadow over the proceedings.
After the jury left to begin deliberating, Mr. Nelson asked for a mistrial, saying that comments
by Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California, amounted to threats and
intimidation. While visiting Brooklyn Center, Ms. Waters told protesters that they should “stay
on the street” and “get more confrontational” if Mr. Chauvin were acquitted.
Jury begins deliberations after closing arguments in Derek Chauvin trial (CBS
News)
[MENTION] Minnesota National Guard troops have been stationed throughout Minneapolis
and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called in the Ohio State Highway Patrol to assist local
officials with their security plan, Operation Safety Net. Walz is calling for calm with tensions
high ahead of a looming verdict. Jamie Yuccas reports.
Minneapolis braces for unrest as the Derek Chauvin trial reaches closing
arguments (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
MINNEAPOLIS — Night after night, tear gas has hung like a cloud over the Sterling Square
Apartments, just across the street from the Brooklyn Center Police Department, seeping
through the walls and air vents like an invisible predator.
The two-story apartment complex has been ground zero for demonstrations over last week's
fatal shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright by a Brooklyn Center police officer. Residents have
looked outside their windows as protesters clash with law enforcement officers who have used
the chemical irritant, stun grenades and other nonlethal munitions to control the
demonstrators.
The aggressive tactics have injured dozens of protesters and journalists and sent dangerous
fumes and projectiles into the adjacent apartments, leaving residents sick and fearful for their
safety in what many describe as a "war zone." The tenants, many of them low-income and
Black, have reported rashes and nose bleeds and say they are unable to sleep because of the
fumes and noise.
"We have been sneezing and coughing every day, because it comes through the walls and then
it stays in the walls," said Iranesha Anderson, 29, who has four children, two of whom have
asthma. "You can't even air out your apartment, because the [expletive] still keeps coming in."
The law enforcement response to the protests over Wright’s killing has elevated tensions in
neighboring Minneapolis, a city already on edge as it braces for a verdict in the murder trial of
Derek Chauvin, the former police officer accused of killing George Floyd.
Two Minnesota National Guard members were injured when someone fired on a security team
made up of troops and the Minneapolis Police Department in a drive-by shooting early Sunday.
There were no serious injuries, according to Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, the adjutant general, but
he said the shooting "highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now."
There were protests against police shootings in several U.S. cities over the weekend, including
in Chicago; Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; and the District of Columbia, where four people
were arrested in clashes with police as a march was breaking up.
Closing arguments began Monday in the landmark case, and officials, business owners and
residents across the city fear that Minneapolis could see a repeat of the civil unrest that
erupted after Floyd’s death in May.
The killing of Wright, a Black man who was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop April 11,
has increased anxiety over the potential for violent protests and looting, and has created
confusion over who is in charge of efforts to keep the city safe. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a
Democrat; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat; the city police chief; and the county
sheriff share the role, but they appear to hold different views on how best to respond.
"It just feels like it's more politically driven than productively saying, 'What can we do to
prevent people from getting harmed here,' " said Lonnie McQuirter, 35, owner of 36 Lyn Refuel
Station in Minneapolis, who, like many residents here, is torn between needing police to
protect his business and being concerned that an aggressive response will do more harm.
Last week, thousands of Minnesota National Guard troops began deploying throughout the
city, taking up armed positions along commercial corridors and in residential neighborhoods
alongside police officers as part of what city and state officials describe as a deterrent to
potential looting and violence in response to the Chauvin verdict.
The unprecedented level of security includes more than 3,000 National Guard troops and at
least 1,100 officers from public safety agencies across the state as part of a joint effort known
as Operation Safety Net. The massive show of force, officials say, is aimed at preventing a
repeat of the violence that erupted across the city last summer, including the burning of a
police station and an estimated $350 million in damage to buildings and businesses.
But the wartime posture has alarmed some residents and elected officials who have repeatedly
complained in recent weeks that the heavily militarized approach ignores the community's
trauma over the events of last summer, when mostly peaceful protesters were tear-gassed and
injured by police action. Many elected officials say aggressive response resulted in the
subsequent violence and destruction, lessons that some say were ignored in Brooklyn Center.
Flags half-staff for victims of COVID-19, Indianapolis victims (International
Journal Falls)
Gov. Tim Walz has directed all flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota to be flown at
half-staff from sunrise to sunset today.
The flags are also half-staff until sunset through Tuesday to mourn the eight victims of the
senseless act of violence perpetrated in Indianapolis, Indiana on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
He has directed flags to fly at half-staff on the 19th of every month to remember, mourn, and
honor lives lost due to COVID-19.
Two Minnesota National Guardsmen suffer minor injuries in drive-by
shooting (New York Post)
By Tamar Lapin
A team of Minnesota National Guard members and Minneapolis police officers were targeted
in a drive-by shooting in the city early Sunday — as California Rep. Maxine Waters joined
hundreds of angry protesters and urged them to be “more confrontational.”
Two guardsmen suffered minor injuries when someone in a light-colored SUV fired at the
“neighborhood security team” at around 4:19 a.m. in Minneapolis, the Minnesota National
Guard said in a statement.
One guardsman was treated at a local hospital after being cut by shattered glass and the other
“received only superficial injuries,” the statement said.
“I am relieved to know none of our Guardsmen were seriously injured,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn
Manke, Minnesota National Guard adjutant general.
“This event highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now. I ask for peace as
we work through this difficult time.”
The shooting came just hours after Waters broke the law by violating curfew with protesters in
Minnesota — where she demanded anti-cop demonstrators get “more active” and “more
confrontational.”
“We’ve got to stay in the streets, and we’ve got to demand justice,” she urged the crowd,
according to one tweeted clip.
“We’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational, we’ve got to make sure
that they know we mean business,” the California Democrat added when asked what the
people should do if Derek Chauvin, the ex-cop accused of murdering George Floyd, is
acquitted.
The city has been on edge amid the trial of Chauvin in Floyd’s death and protests over the fatal
police shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb.
The Minnesota National Guard was activated as part of the joint “Operation Safety Net” effort
with local law enforcement “to protect people, freedom of speech and property” during both
the trial and protests, the statement said.
Gov. Tim Walz said he spoke with the two injured guardsmen, one in his 30s and the other in
his 40s, and said they “are OK,” according to CNN.
“But it highlights how dangerous the situation can get,” Walz told local station WCCO.
“The verdict is going to be a pivotal point in our state’s history, and how we respond to that is
going to shape us,” he said.
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Friday, April 9, 2021
Date: Friday, April 9, 2021 6:59:52 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 09 Senate Agriculture Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 09 House Agriculture Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 09 Representative McCollum Social Security Legislation.pdf
2021 04 09 Minnesota Historical Society ARP Funds.pdf
2021 04 09 Racial Equity & Joy Coalition ARP Funds.pdf
2021 04 09 BCA Trial Update.pdf
2021 04 09 Talking Points Voting Trends 2021.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
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prosecution/defense to give him questions & expected answers by Thursday, he will evaluate, decide
which questions he will allow and then Mr. Hall will have time to review the questions and confer with
his attorneys prior to testifying. Mr. Hall is currently in-custody in Hennepin County. It is unknown
when Mr. Hall would testify. This motion is still pending.
➢ Defense put on the record – they would stipulate to the experts reviewing Dr. Baker’s reports as long as
prosecution will call Dr. Baker as a witness, which prosecution has agreed to, therefore the defense
would not argue foundational issues for the expert witnesses.
Juror Selections/Strikes:
➢ Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Monday, April 5, 2021
Date: Monday, April 5, 2021 7:03:25 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 05 Commerce ARP Energy Proposals.pdf
2021_04_05_Don’t Forget Us Campaign High School Student Unemployment Insurance.pdf
2021 04 05 MAPE Premium Pay Request.pdf
2021 04 05 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
2021_04_05_Minnesota Environmental Partnership Ag Soil Carbon Sequestration.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
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the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
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From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Monday, April 12, 2021
Date: Monday, April 12, 2021 8:03:12 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 12 Senator Benson Data Practices Request.pdf
2021 04 12 Consul General of China in Chicago.pdf
2021 04 12 Consul General of Japan in Chicago.pdf
2021 04 12 Minnesota Environmental Partnership ARP.pdf
2021 04 12 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
2021 04 12 BCA Trial Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
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Brooklyn Center last night (04.11.21), and the subsequent civil unrest. One juror who is a resident of
the city. State opposed. Judge denied.
➢ Judge Cahill told jury that the case will be turned over to the defense on 4-13-21. Also that the case
will be complete by the end of the week and to pack a bag, expecting closing arguments possibly on
Monday. Also, possibly no court on Friday of this week.
Juror Selections/Strikes:
➢ Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Monday, April 19, 2021
Date: Monday, April 19, 2021 7:03:58 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 19 Minneapolis Legislative Delegation.pdf
2021_04_19_MDVA Daily Update.pdf
2021 04 19 BCA Trial Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not
the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
(or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
Sydney Jordan
State Representative Minnesota
House of
Hennepin County
Representatives
Thank you for meeting with us to hear our concerns yesterday. We, the Minneapolis Legislative
delegation, share our community’s anguish and outrage over the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of
law enforcement, and the continual cycle of violence perpetrated by our policing system. All people,
without exception, deserve safety. Minneapolis has experienced unimaginable trauma in the past year
compounded by the nearing conclusion of the Chauvin Trial.
People of color, especially Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are disproportionately impacted by
police violence. The violence that law enforcement inflicted on community members attempting to grieve
publicly and protest state violence in Brooklyn Center as a part of Operation Safety Net was wrong, just
as it was in Minneapolis after police killed George Floyd. Escalation of force does not make the people
and communities we serve safer. It is unacceptable that law enforcement officers from the Minnesota
State Patrol, Hennepin County, Brooklyn Center Police Department, and other jurisdictions have
continually used tactics and approaches that escalate the situation with peaceful protestors. Chemical gas
and less-lethal weapons have also been used on our neighbors, including members of the press, violating
the First Amendment and a federal temporary restraining order protecting members of the media. As
elected leaders, we stand with our communities who are hurting and crying out for justice.
As we move into a week that will see the beginning of jury deliberations in the trial of Derek Chauvin we
call on the Minneapolis police department and their cross-jurisdictional partners to exercise compassion
and restraint in the coming days. The way that law enforcement handled the first hours and days of
community grieving for George Floyd and Daunte Wright was unnecessarily harsh, escalatory, and
disproportionate. The extensive use of chemical munitions and less-lethal rounds during those critical
first nights, last week and last year, set the tone for the days to come. We saw over the last week that
when law enforcement and the National Guard allowed people the space to exercise their constitutional
right to protest, without escalation or provocation, there was significantly less violence and injury.
As the elected representatives of Minneapolis residents we call on the leaders of Operation Safety Net to
re-evaluate their tactics and maintain as paramount the First Amendment rights of protestors and the
media.
We expect that police engage the community with dignity, respect, and care. We ask that local authorities
not authorize any use of chemical or less-lethal munitions on crowds of protestors. We are also deeply
concerned about the addition of officers from out of state and ask the city and their cross jurisdictional
partners to end this escalation of force and cycle of violence. Finally, the public deserves full
accountability and transparency in the decision-making processes of OSN and future responses to
protests against police violence.
We appreciate your willingness to meet with us, and we share your commitment to safety and justice for
all Minnesotans. The city, county, and state have the power to protect the security and rights of all our
neighbors and do it in a way that reduces trauma, and ends the violence against our communities. The
world is watching.
Signatories:
Jim Davnie
State Representative
Aisha Gomez
State Representative
Jamie Long
State Representative
Frank Hornstein
State Representative
CC:
Juror Selections/Strikes:
Ø Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
Ø Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
§ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
§ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Thursday, April 8, 2021
Date: Thursday, April 8, 2021 7:17:45 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 08 Senate State Government Omnibus.pdf
2021_04_08_House State Government Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 08 House Tax Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 08 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
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prosecution/defense to give him questions & expected answers by Thursday, he will evaluate, decide
which questions he will allow and then Mr. Hall will have time to review the questions and confer with
his attorneys prior to testifying. Mr. Hall is currently in-custody in Hennepin County. It is unknown
when Mr. Hall would testify. This motion is still pending.
➢ Defense put on the record – they would stipulate to the experts reviewing Dr. Baker’s reports as long as
prosecution will call Dr. Baker as a witness, which prosecution has agreed to, therefore the defense
would not argue foundational issues for the expert witnesses.
Juror Selections/Strikes:
➢ Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: Evening Update - Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 7:18:43 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 06 Minnesota State Profile.pdf
2021_04_06_PPE Shipments.pdf
2021 04 06 Nursing Home COVID-19 State Analysis.pdf
2021 04 06 MDVA Daily Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
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confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not
the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
(or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: Bailey, Erin K (MMB); Beckmann, Kristin L (GOV); Bergman, Sasha (GOV); Castaneda, Kayla J (GOV); Held, Jessi
(GOV); Huml, Tara ( (GOV); Leininger, Sophie ( (GOV); Loyola, Migdalia (GOV); Mills, Taylor
( (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Park, Patina (GOV); Procaccini, Karl ( C (GOV); Quinn, Hannah
( M (GOV); Simpson, Amanda ( (GOV); Tanis, Patrick (GOV); Taylor, Chris ( (GOV);
Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Bauer, Emmalynn (GOV); Carlson, Charlie ( B (GOV); Courcy01, Catherine (GOV);
Lamers, Kate R (GOV); Lancaster, Claire (GOV); Leininger, Sophie ( (GOV); Long, Nate (he/his) (GOV);
Nelson, Madelyn ( (GOV); Park, Patina (GOV); Parks, Emily ( M (GOV); Rumicho, Kaleb (
(GOV); Sidley, Jane ( (GOV); Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Wallington, Brooke ( (GOV)
Subject: Evening Update - Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 8:19:18 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 14 Senate Higher Ed Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 14 House Higher Ed Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 14 Senate Human Services Omnibus.pdf
2021_04_14_House Human Services Omnibus.pdf
2021 04 14 CGMC House Capital Investment.pdf
2021 04 14 Agency Public Engagement Overview.pdf
2021 04 14 BCA Trial Update.pdf
2021 04 14 Letter re special prosecutor.pdf
2021_04_14_Letter of Response to ACLU Request.pdf
Constituent Highlights
April 10 – “Dear Governor, I'm 73 years old and this might have been the hardest year of my life.
And you, Sir, have done such an AMAZING job for us Minnesotans on so many fronts, all the
while staying calm and focused, taking our hand, walking us through, trying to help us come
together: COVID, Equity, Climate, Education - the list goes on and on. You must be exhausted. I
can't thank you enough. Thank you thank you thank you! Plus, happy belated birthday and I love
your dog!” Virginia Averill from Marine on Saint Croix, MN
Proclamations
Date Title
April 10 Week of the Young Child
Public Engagement Activities
Ongoing – Ploua and Migdalia are working with the Office of Inclusion and Appointments to set
up the processes to review applications for the One Minnesota Community Council.
Ongoing – Fred is working with DHS and TPT to translate a couple of Stay Safe MN documents to
Hmong Somali and Spanish for dissemination also translate state fair vaccine site flyers.
April 8 – Representatives from the Governor’s Office and staff from DHS, MHFA, DEED partnered
with attorneys from SMRLS & Legal Aid to convene a high-level conversation about updates to
the Public Charge rule.
April 13 – Nico joined the weekly immigration forum convened by the Cities of St. Paul &
Minneapolis.
April 14 – Nico participated in the monthly Migrant Services Consortium meeting.
Upcoming Public Engagement Activities
April 22 – Fred is working with the Vaccine Equity team at MDH to prepare for two community
vaccines conversation events with State leaders.
Tribal State Relations
Ongoing – The TSR team continues to connect and receive updates from the Tribal Codification
workgroup who are moving forward with a bill to codify EO 19-24.
April 13 – Mattie attended the WASH-MN meeting today on behalf of the Governor’s office.
They covered legislative updates and progress on their Native-focused initiatives.
April 15 – The team will be hosting MDH & DEED on the weekly call with Tribal Leaders.
Agency Public Engagement Overview
Attached is a document detailing public engagement events agencies held as well as upcoming events.
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-
mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
Teresa J. Nelson
Legal Director
[email protected]
Office: 651.529.1692
By email
Dear Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison and County Attorney Freeman,
The horrific extrajudicial killing of Daunte Wright by the police has once again
focused a national spotlight on racial bias and use of excessive force by police in
Minnesota, particularly against Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. Many
communities feel a deep chasm between themselves and the police who are
supposed to serve them, deepened by a history of failures to hold police accountable
for their misconduct.
County Attorney Freeman, you have taken a step in the right direction by referring
the matter to another County Attorney. However, County Attorneys work closely
with the police agencies in their jurisdiction, relying on those officers to investigate
crimes and serve as witnesses. It is untenable for people to investigate and
prosecute a police officer when they are also daily working with and relying on
police officers. Having them do so fosters distrust and suspicion in the community.
does not have a working relationship with the police will vigorously pursue justice
and police accountability.
Attorney General Ellison, last year, you recognized the need for accountability,
transparency and justice when you stepped up to pursue the prosecution of the
officers who killed George Floyd. Now, we respectfully urge transferring this matter
to the Attorney General and appointing a Special Assistant Attorney General who is
qualified to prosecute cases of this magnitude but who is not currently a prosecutor
who works with any Minnesota police agencies.
This is something Minn. Stat. § 8.01 gives you the power to do:
Upon request of the county attorney, the attorney general shall appear in
court in such criminal cases as the attorney general deems proper.
Having assumed jurisdiction, the Attorney General has the authority under Minn.
Stat. § 8.02, subd. 1, to appoint a Special Assistant Attorney General. See Conant v.
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P., 603 N.W.2d 143, 148 (Minn. Ct. App. 1999);
Minn. Stat. § 8.06.
Finally, the Governor has broad authority to appoint special state employees not
otherwise provided for by law. Minn. Stat. § 4.04, subd. 1.
Community distrust in the police has been steadily growing in the Twin Cities, in
Minnesota, and around the nation. And for good reason: Black, Indigenous and
other people of color are twice as likely as white people to be killed by police. Even
more startling, since the year 2000, 207 people have died at the hands of Minnesota
law-enforcement officers. 1 Of those killed, 46% were Black Indigenous and other
people of color, even though over 83% of Minnesota’s population is white. 2 Only
three of those deaths resulted in criminal charges against any officer.
1
https://www.startribune.com/every-police-involved-death-in-minnesota-since-2000/502088871/
2
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MN
American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota
P.O. Box 14720, Minneapolis, MN 55414 • T/651.645.4097
www.aclu-mn.org
Governor Tim Walz
Attorney General Keith Ellison
County Attorney Mike Freeman
April 13, 2021
Page 3
An independent special prosecutor will bring to the role needed credibility and
objectivity. For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to act on this request.
Teresa Nelson
Governor,
Please see below a release announcing your request for assistance ahead of the Chauvin trial verdict.
Here is your quote for edits or approval:
“As the world awaits a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, we need support in our efforts
to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting public safety,”
said Governor Walz. “I am grateful to our colleagues in Ohio and Nebraska for their
willingness to provide assistance and relief to our State troopers and law enforcement
officers as they continue to work to keep the peace in our communities.”
One Minnesota
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confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
From: Castaneda, Kayla J (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV)
Cc: Schmitter, Chris ( L (GOV); Procaccini, Karl ( C (GOV); #GOV Gov Communications;
Beckmann, Kristin L (GOV); Taylor, Chris ( (GOV); Nguyen, Hue (GOV); Bergman, Sasha (GOV); Tanis,
Patrick (GOV); Tummel, Janelle (MMB); Schowalter, Jim D (MMB)
Subject: FOR AWARENESS: Enterprise Email
Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 12:21:54 PM
Dear Colleagues,
We are devastated to have to write this message again today. As the world watches Minnesota, the
life of another Black man was taken by law enforcement on Sunday.
The death of Daunte Wright is a tragedy. He was a young man, a father, and a son. While the officer
may not have meant to shoot him with her gun, we cannot afford mistakes that lead to the loss of
life. And we must ask ourselves if he would have been pulled over in the first place if he had been
white.
For many white Minnesotans, these tragic incidents are an awakening to a truth that Minnesotans of
color have known all their lives. While our state ranks as one of the best places in the country for a
white child to grow up, it often ranks as one of the worst for a child of color. As many Minnesotans
welcome getting back to normal after the pandemic, we must acknowledge this and recognize that
for too many getting back to normal isn’t good enough. We must take meaningful action to root out
systemic racial inequities and ensure every Minnesotan has the opportunity to succeed.
In the coming days, we must continue to ensure Minnesotans can grieve together and peacefully
protest while also keeping the public safe. Since we have been preparing for the trial of Derek
Chauvin, the National Guard is already activated. They are working in a unified command structure
with local police chiefs, local sheriffs, and the Minnesota State Patrol. We will not allow anyone to
exploit this tragedy. If anyone tries to use this tragedy to harm our communities, they will be
arrested. If you see criminal or suspicious activity, call 911 or the BCA hotline at 651-793-7000.
At the unanimous recommendation of relevant state and local public safety leaders, we will not
extend our county-wide curfew tonight in Hennepin, Dakota, Ramsey, and Anoka counties. Local
jurisdictions may choose to do so, and we ask Minnesotans to abide by them. For employees
working at the Capitol complex, we encourage you to work from home if possible. Additional safety
and security measures are in place around the Capitol complex. Expect some road closures on and
around the Capitol over the next few days. Employees should have their ID with them.
We know these events are draining. Please take care of yourselves in the best ways you can,
including using the resources below to find support when you need it.
· Get support through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Our EAP provides free,
confidential support and a wide range of services. Call anytime at 651-259-3840 or 1-800-657-
3719.
· Talk to culturally competent counselors. If it is helpful, you can request to talk to a
counselor who identifies as a person of color. Call 877-455-2814.
· Talk to a specialist who assists law enforcement and first responders. Contact a specialist
at 833-731-0680.
· Find resources within your agency. Talk to your supervisor about resources that are
available through your agency, such as listening sessions or events hosted by Employee Resource
Groups.
Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
Kayla Castañeda | Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
From: Long, Nate (he/his) (GOV)
To: Carlson, Charlie ( B (GOV); Flynn, Adam (DPS); Gerhartz, Jonathan (DPS); Gorski, Paul (DPS); Gwen
Walz; Held, Jessi (GOV); Krambeer, Adam (DPS); Lautigar, Mike (DPS); Long, Nate (he/his) (GOV); Marks,
Benjamin (DPS); Pederson, Kelly A (DPS); Peggy LouPark; Poptelecan, Daniil (DPS); Roeske, Eric (DPS); Tim
Mankato; Wahl, Scott (DPS)
Subject: GOV: Schedule and Materials for Monday, April 19
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2021 8:08:00 PM
Attachments: GOV FINAL Call Linda Sloan CMAH 04.19.21.pdf
GOV FINAL MPR 04.19.21.pdf
GOV Meeting with Speaker Hortman 4.19.21.pdf
Nate Long | Scheduler for the Governor
Event Contact: They will send a link for Opal (the same program you used last time
you were on All Things Considered)
DETAILS
You will have a pre-recorded interview with Tom Crann for MPR’s All Things Considered
on public safety, police reform, and to ask for peace ahead of the verdict.
AGENDA
1:00 PM Prep
1:08 PM YOU log on to Opal (link in your inbox)
1:10 PM Interview with Tom Crann begins
1:30PM Interview ends
ATTENDEE PICS/BIOS
Tom Crann, Radio Host, Minnesota Public Radio
Tom Crann has been the host of MPR News’ All Things Considered
since 2005. He’s an award-winning anchor of live breaking news
coverage. He has hosted special coverage for MPR, including
election nights, and most recently the summer 2020 unrest in St.
Paul and Minneapolis. He has been recognized with several regional
and national awards for his work with MPR News. Prior to MPR,
Crann was a host for American Public Media’s Classical 24. Crann
received a BA in English Language and Literature from Providence College.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES – Q and A
Governor what are you going to do to ensure journalists can do their jobs going
forward?
• A free press is foundational to our democracy—you, and your colleagues, have
worked tirelessly every day to keep Minnesotans informed.
• I am deeply concerned about the stories I’ve heard of how the press has been
treated during the unrest. That is why I met with media leaders on Saturday to
determine a better way forward. I also gave specific directives to ensure the media’s
right to report is protected. They included ensuring:
Talk about the criticism you’ve received for an excessive police response to protests.
• For many Minnesotans, especially Black Minnesotans, this time is unbearably
emotional.
• More than justice hangs in the balance this week. Our state is wrestling with a deep,
dark history of injustice against our communities of color—and this week holds the
promise of a symbolic step toward a new day.
• Our communities need and deserve space to grieve and to heal. They need and
deserve space to demand change and fight for a better future.
• I have pledged to protect Minnesotans’ First Amendment right to peacefully protest
and express themselves during this painful time.
• We need to hold two truths:
o The first is that Minnesota is in pain and our communities deserve a place to
peacefully grieve.
o And the second is that the volatility of this situation demands that we take
action to protect public safety.
o We have neighborhoods, predominately made up of communities of color
and immigrant communities, who are still doing their best to recover.
o Saturday night, someone shot at a National Guard vehicle, shattering the
window and narrowly missing a soldier.
o My duty is to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while
protecting public safety.
Advocates want to talk about qualified immunity and requiring insurance for officers.
What do you think?
• Those are issues we should look further into, I think we should have public hearings
on them but make sure we’re not creating any unintended consequences.
• Minnesota finds itself in a defining moment. Not just for our state, but for our entire
country. We must hold two truths.
• The first is that Minnesota is in pain and our communities deserve a place to
peacefully grieve.
• Black mothers and fathers see a terrifying future for their child in George—and now
in young Daunte just 12 miles down the road.
• More than justice hangs in the balance this week. Our state is wrestling with a deep,
dark history of injustice against our communities of color—and this week holds the
promise of a symbolic step toward a new day.
• Our communities need and deserve space to grieve and to heal. They need and
deserve space to demand change and fight for a better future.
• Minnesotans have my promise that I will protect their First Amendment right to
peacefully protest and express themselves during this painful time.
• The second truth is that the volatility of this situation demands that we take
action to protect public safety.
• Hiding within those thousands of people who had all the right intentions were a
much smaller group of people who wished to wage destruction on our communities.
• Feeding off the instability, members of extremist groups descended upon our cities.
They even attempted to stage a coup of our State Capitol.
• And unfortunately, a year later, we’ve already seen some of these bad actors loot
businesses and start fires in the wake of Daunte Wright’s tragic death.
• Last night, someone shot at a National Guard vehicle, shattering the window and
narrowly missing a soldier.
• If anyone tries to take advantage of this moment to harm our communities, they will
be arrested.
• While we have a robust public safety response, the call for peace from our
community is much more impactful. I want to say thank you to the community
leaders who have already taken action to keep protests peaceful.
• At the end of the day, Minnesotans, we cannot lose sight of why our state finds itself
here in the first place: the deaths of George Floyd—and now Daunte Wright.
• George Floyd called out for his mother. Daunte called his mother
• I spoke to Daunte Wright’s mother this week. Her strength and resolve is
unimaginable.
• Daunte’s mom—and all the other mothers who have lost loved ones to police—do
not need our sympathy. They need our action.
• While we cannot control what the verdict says, we can control how we respond.
Peacefully, and with resolve that no matter what happens, we have work to do.
Event Summary
DETAILS
Last week the Speaker asked for more frequent check ins with you. This is the first of weekly
check ins between the two of you and key staff.
AGENDA / PROGRAM
11:00 am – 11:15 am Prep with Staff
11:15 am – 11:45 am Meeting with Speaker
KEY ATTENDEES
• Speaker Melissa Hortman
• Sean Rahn, House DFL Chief of Staff
• Chris Schmitter
• Hue Nguyen
1
4/18/2021 7:30 PM
POLICY INFORMATION
DPS/DNR/EMAC Funding Request
Jim Schowalter and Hue have been working through the weekend on the bill to fund DPS/DNR
and EMAC. The original bill sent over to the Speaker and Sen. Kent included the deficeincy
request for costs related to Brooklyn Center, the Chauvin trial, refinancing of costs for last
summer and EMAC. The speaker asked us if there was a way to lower the cost of the bill and
asked for information on how we calculated the cost. We removed the cost of refinancing
because we can deal with that in the larger budget discussion, the total cost for everything else
is $22 million.
The Speaker wanted to be strategic about the timing of sending the language over to the GOP.
She wants to take the bill up on the floor on Wednesday the same day she is taking up the
omnibus public safety bill and does not want the Senate to send the bill over to her on Monday
and then the House GOP forcing her to bring the bill up on Tuesday. Therefore, as of 5 pm we
have not shared language with the GOP.
2
4/18/2021 7:30 PM
From: Quinn, Hannah ( M (GOV)
To: Carlson, Charlie ( B (GOV); Flynn, Adam (DPS); Gerhartz, Jonathan (DPS); Gorski, Paul (DPS); Walz,
Gwen (GOV); Held, Jessi (GOV); Krambeer, Adam (DPS); Lautigar, Mike (DPS); Long, Nate (he/his) (GOV);
Marks, Benjamin (DPS); Pederson, Kelly A (DPS); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Roeske, Eric (DPS); Walz,
Tim (GOV); Wahl, Scott (DPS)
Subject: GOV: Schedule for Tuesday, April 13
Date: Monday, April 12, 2021 10:53:49 PM
Attachments: BOTH FINAL Legislative Leaders Meeting 04.12.21.pdf
BOTH FINAL POCI Caucus Meeting 04.13.21.pdf
BOTH DRAFT FEMA site visit 04.13.21.pdf
GOV FINAL Midwest gov call 04.13.21.pdf
ALL FINAL Federal Funds Discussion-Equitable Economy 4.13.2021.pdf
BOTH FINAL Police reform advocates meeting 04.13.21.pdf
TUESDAY, APRIL 13
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ
Hannah Quinn | Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Office: 651-201-3436 |Cell:
Pronouns:
One Minnesota
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confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this
e-mail (or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
Event Summary
Location: Teams
Requestor: You
Event Purpose: To connect with POCI Caucus members on next steps with police reform.
DETAILS
To connect with the POCI Caucus on how they would like to approach police reform this
session.
AGENDA / PROGRAM
YOU provide remarks
1
4/12/2021 10:19 PM
• Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn • Rep. Heather Keeler
• Rep. Cedrick Frazier • Rep. Athena Hollins
• Rep. Rena Moran • Rep. Jay Xiong
• Rep. Ruth Richardson • Rep. John Thompson
• Rep. Mohamud Noor • Sen. Bobby Joe Champion
• Rep. Aisha Gomez • Sen. Patricia Torres Ray
• Rep. Fue Lee • Sen. Omar Fateh
• Rep. Tou Xiong • Sen. Mary Kunesh
• Rep. Esther Agbaje • Sen. Melisa Franzen
• Rep. Kaohly Her • Sen. Foung Hawj
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The POCI Caucus let the DFL approach to the development of the 2020 Police Accountability
and Reform.
POLICY INFORMATION
Bills that the advocates are demanding action on, listed for your awareness but you don’t
need to speak to them individually:
• Qualified Immunity: The proposal would end qualified immunity as a defense in civil
bases for police officers in misconduct matters.
• Carried by Rep. John Thompson in the House, it has a hearing in House Judiciary at
1pm on 04/13
• Police Professional Liability Insurance: Creates a requirement for law enforcement
officers to carry professional liability insurance as a condition of employment.
Employing agencies may pay the base but any additional premiums based on an
officer’s conduct would be the officer’s responsibility to pay.
• Rep. Hollins is carrying the bill in the House.
• Civilian Oversight Strengthened: Repeals statute that prohibits civilian oversight bodies
from making findings of fact in complaints against police.
• Carried by Rep. Gomez in the House and has a hearing in House Judiciary committee
at 1pm on 04/13. The bill is also included in the House Public Safety Omnibus Bill.
• Ending Police-Only Responses to Mental Health Crisis Calls: Requires that mental health
crisis calls must be responded to by mental health professionals and not only law
enforcement.
• Your budget proposal includes a grant program through DPS for law enforcement
agencies to establish co-responder teams.
• Ending State of Limitations for Wrongful Deaths: Eliminates the time limit that cases of
wrongful death civil suits can be filed. Currently the lookback period is 5 years.
• In 2020, DPS proposed a policy bill to extend the SOL. This approach was a
recommendation of the Deadly Force Encounters Working Group.
• Independent Investigatory and Prosecutory Body
2
4/12/2021 10:19 PM
• These demands are not currently moving in the House.
• In the 2020 Police Accountability and Reform Act, a new, independent unit was
created at the BCA to handle police-involved incidents. However, advocates want
the entity to be separate from DPS.
• End Prosecution for Reporting Police Misconduct
• Access to Body Camera Footage within 48 Hours: The bill allows families access to
unredacted footage within 48 hours.
• Rep. Thompson is the House author. The bill has a hearing in House Judiciary at 1pm
on 04/13
• End No Knock Warrants: Prohibits officers from obtaining no knock warrants except
under narrow circumstances.
• Rep. Hollins is carrying the bill in the House. It is included in the House Public Safety
Omnibus
PRESS
N/A
2
4/12/2021 10:19 PM
TALKING POINTS
• I know many of you were also briefed last night by Superintendent Evans.
• I am sorry that we are back here again. Both reeling from another senseless tragedy
– and also fighting a GOP Senate who refuses to hear the community.
• I want to acknowledge the trauma you and your communities are facing – with the
trial of Derek Chauvin, death of Dante Wright, and always in our systemically racist
systems of public safety.
• I want to clarify my remarks from yesterday’s press conference. It is the Senate that
must hear the community. I know you all have done enormous work on these issues.
• Over the past two years, I have appointed progressive advocates to the POST Board, and
that work is ongoing, people like Justin Terrell.
• Minnesotans made clear their outrage around the systemic inequities and racial
injustice in our public safety system last year. The anger is also about being heard.
3
4/12/2021 10:19 PM
• I, once again, explained that last summer’s Police Reform and Accountability Act was
only a start and he and his caucus is not absolved from responsibility to continue to
listen and act.
• And I asked the Board to perform a full audit of it’s practices and rules that are now
being implemented. As much as I wish that work happened overnight, it takes time.
• I understand from reports I hear from committee hearings and other advocates that
you are demanding additional reforms at the Board.
• We need concrete ideas to vet. My law enforcement experts at DPS and at the POST
Board do not fully understand what you are asking for.
• We need to do this the right way. Through rule change and legislative action. As
partners.
4
4/12/2021 10:19 PM
Event Summary
Attire: Business
#of attendees: 7
DETAILS
Meet with advocates who are pushing for additional legislative police reform this year and set
expectations about what is possible through your role.
1
4/12/2021 9:42 PM
AGENDA / PROGRAM
4:30 PM YOU arrive and welcome the advocates.
Acknowledge the trauma of the current moment and the need for more change.
Speak to the importance of their work and advocacy.
Outline the work your administration has done over the past 2 years around
police accountability and reform.
Explain your efforts to push the Senate to hear the bills.
4:40 PM Provide space for the advocates to be heard – Malcolm will moderate
4:55 PM Closing remarks
5:00 PM Meeting ends
KEY ATTENDEES
• Jaylani Hussein, CAIR
• Toshira Garraway, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence
• Johnathon McClellan, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence
• Michelle Gross, Citizens United Against Police Brutality
• Jess Sundin, Justice 4 Jamar
• Zaynab Mohamed, CAIR
• Mohamed Ibrahim
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Individuals from CAIR, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Justice for Jamar
Clark, and others requested a meeting with you through Malcolm Lawson, Emily Lefholz, and
Chris Schmitter.
POLICY INFORMATION
Bills that the advocates are demanding action on:
• Qualified Immunity: The proposal would end qualified immunity as a defense in civil
bases for police officers in misconduct matters.
- Carried by Rep. John Thompson in the House, it has a hearing in House Judiciary at
1pm on 04/13
• Police Professional Liability Insurance: Creates a requirement for law enforcement
officers to carry professional liability insurance as a condition of employment.
Employing agencies may pay the base but any additional premiums based on an
officer’s conduct would be the officer’s responsibility to pay.
- Rep. Hollins is carrying the bill in the House.
• Civilian Oversight Strengthened: Repeals statute that prohibits civilian oversight bodies
from making findings of fact in complaints against police.
- Carried by Rep. Gomez in the House and has a hearing in House Judiciary committee
at 1pm on 04/13. The bill is also included in the House Public Safety Omnibus Bill.
2
4/12/2021 9:42 PM
• Ending Police-Only Responses to Mental Health Crisis Calls: Requires that mental health
crisis calls must be responded to by mental health professionals and not only law
enforcement.
- Your budget proposal includes a grant program through DPS for law enforcement
agencies to establish co-responder teams.
• Ending State of Limitations for Wrongful Deaths: Eliminates the time limit that cases of
wrongful death civil suits can be filed. Currently the lookback period is 5 years.
- In 2020, DPS proposed a policy bill to extend the SOL. This approach was a
recommendation of the Deadly Force Encounters Working Group.
• Independent Investigatory and Prosecutory Body
- These demands are not currently moving in the House.
- In the 2020 Police Accountability and Reform Act, a new, independent unit was
created at the BCA to handle police-involved incidents. However, advocates want
the entity to be separate from DPS.
• End Prosecution for Reporting Police Misconduct
• Access to Body Camera Footage within 48 Hours: The bill allows families access to
unredacted footage within 48 hours.
- Rep. Thompson is the House author. The bill has a hearing in House Judiciary at 1pm
on 04/13
• End No Knock Warrants: Prohibits officers from obtaining no knock warrants except
under narrow circumstances.
- Rep. Hollins is carrying the bill in the House. It is included in the House Public Safety
Omnibus
PRESS
N/A but may be recorded by attendees
4
4/12/2021 9:42 PM
TALKING POINTS
Tone: Serious, empathetic
- But as we know, our systemically racists institutions are moving far too slow in
relation to the critical need for the transformational change.
- I know you all are experiencing trauma within your families and your
communities right now. The death of George Floyd, and now the trial of Derek
Chauvin – while also now learning of the death of Daunte Wright – it all opens up
wounds that have not yet healed.
- I am with you. I hear you. I want to see our systems change. I want all
Minnesotans to feel safe, respected, and supported by their communities.
- Weeks after George Floyd was killed, I directed the Minnesota Department of
Human Rights to investigate the MPD. That work is monumental and ongoing.
The report could have binding consequences on the department. Those findings will
be released later this year.
- Over the past two years, I have appointed progressive advocates to the POST Board,
and that work is ongoing, people like Justin Terrell.
- But I cannot do it alone. I cannot make statutory changes alone. I cannot appropriate
needed investments in reform alone. The Legislature must send me a bill.
- I have called on Senate and House leadership to meet with me to discuss how
we get these bills passed. To emphasize that they must hear the community
firsthand.
- As you know, the Senate has not held a single hearing on the bills you are trying to
move. Not one chance for the public to be heard in that body.
- I cannot do this work alone. The Senate must be a partner. I stand with you in
demanding that they listen and do their jobs.
5
4/12/2021 9:42 PM
- Let’s partner. I ask that we work together. I cannot do this work in a vacuum, we
must push the Senate.
6
4/12/2021 9:42 PM
From: Nguyen, Hue (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV)
Cc: Schmitter, Chris ( L (GOV)
Subject: Questions in Advance of Meeting Sunday Meeting with Legislators
Date: Saturday, April 17, 2021 10:08:48 PM
Attachments: Sunday Meeting Questions.docx
Governor
Attached are the questions we received from legislators in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting. We
received them at 10pm. We will work with DPS to try to get as many answers as possible and will
walk through what we can discuss at the prep meeting.
Hue
Hue Nguyen | Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Legislative Affairs
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
One Minnesota
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November 18, 2021
Thank you for meeting with the members of the Minneapolis Delegation and other legislators on
Saturday, April 17. As we had to continue our conversation, please find below the following questions
we would like to discuss on Sunday morning:
1. How will arrested protesters be treated differently than last summer and this last week?
2. Will the state commit to releasing protesters in a timelier fashion, such as less than 24 hours?
3. How many people have been arrested in Brooklyn Center from the protests, on what charges, and
how many are still detained?
4. What steps are being taken to ensure that law enforcement agencies end all use of tear gas and
less lethal munitions in their response? Under what circumstances, if any, will tear gas and less
lethal munitions be used going forward, and who will be responsible for approval?
5. What lessons have we learned from the Brooklyn Center experience to better de-escalate
interactions with protestors going into next week? What specific things will you do differently
when coordinating across law enforcement agencies in the response?
6. What steps are being taken to implement a people-centered response with communities to both
de-escalate and address the impact of police violence? Who is coordinating that response?
7. What are the specific “rules of engagement” for interacting with protestors? What specific steps
are being taken to avoid engagement and escalation with protestors?
8. What investment in community engagement is being made? Which community groups are at the
table? Do they have decision making power?
9. Who should community members contact to voice questions and concerns about OSN?
10. There is a significant amount of military personnel with tanks and guns stationed in front of
businesses across the Twin Cities. What is the plan if a crowd were to approach a business? Will
National Guard open fire? What is the military protocol on displaying a weapon not meant to be
used?
11. What is the chain of command for OSN? What steps will you commit to make this clearer to
police departments and the public?
12. In addition to conversations with the large media outlets, how are actions going to change to
ensure that media, both traditional and non-traditional, is not targeted, particularly under the TRO,
but also as a protection to the freedom of the press?
We anticipate that our discussion tomorrow morning will put us on a path to meeting the needs of
our communities in the wake of the killing of Duante Wright and as we prepare for the verdict in the trial
of Derek Chauvin.
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: RE: Evening Update - Thursday, April 8, 2021
Date: Thursday, April 8, 2021 8:23:20 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 08 BCA Trial Update.pdf
5.
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
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immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
prosecution/defense to give him questions & expected answers by Thursday, he will evaluate, decide
which questions he will allow and then Mr. Hall will have time to review the questions and confer with
his attorneys prior to testifying. Mr. Hall is currently in-custody in Hennepin County. It is unknown
when Mr. Hall would testify. This motion is still pending.
➢ Defense put on the record – they would stipulate to the experts reviewing Dr. Baker’s reports as long as
prosecution will call Dr. Baker as a witness, which prosecution has agreed to, therefore the defense
would not argue foundational issues for the expert witnesses.
Juror Selections/Strikes:
➢ Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Bergman, Sasha (GOV)
To: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV); Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: RE: Evening Update - Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 8:07:25 PM
Attachments: BCA 2020-338 Trial Update (Testimony) 7.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not
the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
(or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
ground, and the condition of Mr. Floyd prior to police contact and during, etc. Prosecution argued that
Mr. Hall should not be able to testify, unless very specific guidelines are set. Judge Cahill told
prosecution/defense to give him questions & expected answers by Thursday, he will evaluate, decide
which questions he will allow and then Mr. Hall will have time to review the questions and confer with
his attorneys prior to testifying. Mr. Hall is currently in-custody in Hennepin County. Unknown when
Mr. Hall would testify.
Ø A motion regarding the Milestone cameras - Motion will be heard on 4.7.21
Juror Selections/Strikes:
Ø Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
Ø Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
§ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
§ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Bergman, Sasha (GOV)
To: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV); Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: RE: Evening Update - Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 8:07:24 PM
Attachments: BCA 2020-338 Trial Update (Testimony) 7.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not
the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
(or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
ground, and the condition of Mr. Floyd prior to police contact and during, etc. Prosecution argued that
Mr. Hall should not be able to testify, unless very specific guidelines are set. Judge Cahill told
prosecution/defense to give him questions & expected answers by Thursday, he will evaluate, decide
which questions he will allow and then Mr. Hall will have time to review the questions and confer with
his attorneys prior to testifying. Mr. Hall is currently in-custody in Hennepin County. Unknown when
Mr. Hall would testify.
Ø A motion regarding the Milestone cameras - Motion will be heard on 4.7.21
Juror Selections/Strikes:
Ø Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
Ø Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
§ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
§ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Hormann, Madeline L (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV); Flanagan, Peggy ( (GOV); Walz, Gwen (GOV)
Cc: #GOV Gov Evening Update
Subject: RE: Evening Update - Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 9:01:44 PM
Attachments: 2021 04 13 BCA Trial Update.pdf
--
Madeline Hormann | Policy & External Relations Coordinator
Pronouns:
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
Cell:
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are not
the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, retransmission, distribution or copying of this e-mail
(or its attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete this e-mail and any attachments.
delirium on May 25, 2020. Officer McKenzie testified to what she trains as excited delirium. Officer
Mackenzie said that excited delirium has been taught to veteran officers in other areas not under the
medical support area.
➢ Witness #6: Barry Brodd (Use of Force Expert) testified to his training and experience, as well as
different use of force concepts as it relates to how Mr. Chauvin used force during the incident. Mr.
Brodd stated that Mr. Chauvin’s use of force were justified as he was threatened and worried for his
and other officers safety due to the agitated crowd. The prosecution worked to walk back the testimony
of Mr. Chauvin using appropriate force.
➢
Motions:
➢ Judge Cahill stated that motions will be made from 9-9:30 daily, with testimony starting at 9:30.
➢ Judge Cahill told jury that the case will be turned over to the defense on 4-13-21. Also that the case
will be complete by the end of the week and to pack a bag, expecting closing arguments possibly on
Monday. Also, possibly no court on Friday of this week.
➢ State motioned to limit Minneapolis Park Police Officer Peter Chang’s Body-Worn Camera Video. The
State argued that Mr. Floyd’s information should be redacted from the video as it can be seen on the
MDC within Ofc. Chang’s squad car, as well as the video is cumulative in nature and there is hearsay
contained within the video. The defense argued that the video is a 3 part series, and it is relevant and
not cumulative. Judge Cahill ordered the redaction of Mr. Floyd’s name from the video, but would allow
the video in its entirety up until the Minneapolis Fire engine left the scene.
➢ At the end of the day Judge Cahill and the prosecution and defense worked administratively on different
pieces of video and training power point evidence.
Juror Selections/Strikes:
➢ Jury Seated: (14/15) *last juror selected was released on today’s date.
o Males: 6 (Jurors identify as; 3 white, 3 black)
o Females: 9 (Jurors identify as; 3 multi-racial, 5 white)
➢ Jury Seating Chart:
o Back Row
▪ Juror 2 (male), Juror 9 (female), Juror 19 (male), Juror 27 (male), Juror 44 (female), Juror
52 (male), Juror 55 (female)
o Front Row
▪ Juror 79 (male), Juror 85 (female), Juror 89 (female), Juror 91 (female), Juror 92(female),
Juror 96 (female), Juror 118 (female)
From: Walz, Tim (GOV)
To: Griffin, Holland ( (GOV)
Subject: Re: FOR APPROVAL: EMAC Release
Date: Monday, April 19, 2021 2:35:17 PM
Attachments: image001.png
Good
One Minnesota
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From: Castaneda, Kayla J (GOV)
To: Walz, Tim (GOV)
Cc: Sidley, Jane ( (GOV); Brigit Helgen; Tschann, Teddy (GOV); Bauer, Emmalynn (GOV); Lancaster, Claire
(GOV); Schmitter, Chris ( L (GOV); Beckmann, Kristin L (GOV); Procaccini, Karl ( C (GOV);
Bergman, Sasha (GOV)
Subject: TALKING POINTS
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2021 8:55:11 AM
Attachments: 04 18 21 Talking Points.docx
Governor,
Per our discussion, attached are talking points for today.
Jane, please print.
Kayla Castañeda | Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Ste. 130
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1611
One Minnesota
Web | Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is intended to be read only by the intended recipient. It may contain
confidential and/or privileged information, and may be protected from disclosure by law. If you are
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TALKING POINTS
• As the world watches, Minnesota finds itself in a defining moment. Not just for our
state, but for our entire country.
• Tomorrow morning, the prosecution and defense in the trial of Derek Chauvin will make
their closing arguments. Then the world will wait with bated breath for the jury to
announce their verdict.
• The first is that Minnesota is in pain and our communities deserve a place to
peacefully grieve.
• For many Minnesotans, especially Black Minnesotans, this time is unbearably emotional.
They’ve been forced to relive the trauma of that day again and again. They’ve had
painful memories of their own encounters play over and over in their mind.
• Black mothers and fathers see a terrifying future for their child in George—and now in
young Daunte just 12 miles down the road.
• More than justice hangs in the balance this week. Our state is wrestling with a deep,
dark history of injustice against our communities of color—and this week holds the
promise of a symbolic step toward a new day.
• Our communities need and deserve space to grieve and to heal. They need and deserve
space to demand change and fight for a better future.
• You have my promise that I will protect your First Amendment right to peacefully
protest and express yourselves during this painful time.
• The second truth is that the volatility of this situation demands that we take action to
protect public safety.
• Hiding within those thousands of people who had all the right intentions were a much
smaller group of people who wished to wage destruction on our communities.
• They exploited the movement—burning vibrant neighborhoods and looting businesses
that Minnesotans put their life’s work in to build.
• Feeding off the instability, members of extremist groups descended upon our cities.
They even attempted to stage a coup of our State Capitol.
• And unfortunately, a year later, we’ve already seen some of these bad actors loot
businesses and start fires in the wake of Daunte Wright’s tragic death.
• Last night, someone shot at a National Guard vehicle, shattering the window and
narrowly missing a soldier.
• My duty is to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting
public safety.
• If anyone tries to take advantage of this moment to harm our communities, they will be
arrested.
• While we have a robust public safety response, the call for peace from our community is
much more impactful. Thank you to the community leaders who have already taken
action to keep protests peaceful.
• I also want to take this time to speak directly to our reporters. A free press is
foundational to our democracy—and you work tirelessly everyday to keep Minnesotans
informed.
• I am concerned about the stories I’ve heard of how you have been treated during the
unrest. That is why I met with media leaders yesterday to determine a better way
forward and gave specific directives to ensure your right to report is protected.
• At the end of the day, Minnesotans, we cannot lose sight of why our state finds itself
here in the first place: the deaths of George Floyd—and now Daunte Wright.
• George Floyd called out for his mother. Daunte called his mother
• Daunte’s mom—and all the other mothers who have lost loved ones to police—do not
need our sympathy. They need our action.
• While we cannot control what the verdict says, we can control how we respond.
Peacefully, and with resolve that no matter what happens, we have work to do.