Hortman: Senate Republicans ‘needed to stay at the table’ in special session
When the Legislature adjourned last weekend, lawmakers left a lot of work not done in a special session that was supposed to take up issues like police accountability, rebuilding riot-torn parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and pandemic funding for cities and counties. It's not clear if and when legislators will return for another special session.
On Tuesday, Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, about what happened — and what could happen in another special session. On Wednesday, Wurzer followed up with House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, for her perspective.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
You probably have heard this. The president of the Coalition of Greater MN Cities said after the special session ended that it was 'a train wreck' and that there was 'plenty of blame to go around.' What part of the blame do House DFLers shoulder?
Well, I think that we thought people were willing to come to an agreement and to do the work. I think what was difficult was when the Senate Republicans decided around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday to walk out the door. They had all the major legislation on their desk. We needed to engage with one another to finish the work.
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You know, we did talk to (Sen. Paul Gazelka) yesterday… and he told us that Democrats, including the governor, asked for too much too late in the session, disrupting a deal that he had with you on COVID money for cities and counties. What of that?
Well, what I would say is that the central work of this special session was police reform and accountability. It hasn't even been one month since George Floyd was murdered. And we all have to be willing to stay at the table long enough to do this important work, and to think that we would do systemic change and accountability in such a short period of time was just simply unrealistic. Senate Republicans really needed to stay at the table.
The Senate did pass 11 items on a list of some 20 presented by the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, the POCI Caucus. But members of the caucus and activists say those changes passed by the Senate didn't go far enough. When it comes to compromise, why couldn't the House have signed on to those 11 Senate items and then conferee it out and then work with the Senate on some of the other items, the rest of it?
Well, there weren't 11 items. There were five bills that were passed, and they have changed their five bills into 11 bullet points to try to make it sound like they are doing more than they are. When you talk to members of the community who are dealing with this kind of systemic change we're trying to accomplish, they take a look at what the Senate has offered and they say it's really insulting. It doesn't really understand the gravity of what we're facing here.
What we all saw on that videotape as George Floyd gasped for air, that merits more time and attention and much more listening to members of the community who have lived experiences that should inform our legislation.
Where's the opportunity to still do significant criminal justice reform in the wake of George Floyd's death?
Well, in the Minnesota Legislature, you know, that is the opportunity. I know that the executive branch can take some action if we all throw up our hands and walk away from the table. But, boy, that would be easy. The hard work is to stay at the table and to change the law and to do things that are meaningful.
After Philando Castile died, a lot of people thought that something would change in Minnesota law, something significant, and especially after the officer who shot him was exonerated due to inadequate legal standards. And here we are again, and I just don't think we should have to wait for anybody else to die graphically on a videotape for us to take action.
When do you think that lawmakers might go back into special session?
Well, if the governor wishes to retain his emergency powers, he will need to call us back in on July 12. So I think that we're highly likely to be there on July 12, which to me means that in the next period of days, we should use all day every day to see what we can get accomplished, so that we can come in — if we come in on July 12 — and make sure that it's productive.
In fact, Sen. Gazelka said that he felt that the next time around, another special session, there should be an agreement on what's to be done ahead of time. So, do you have any meetings scheduled with the senator?
Yes, we're in constant communication. And more importantly, the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus is already hard at work trying to find ways to communicate with the Minnesota Senate Republicans to try to move this important police reform and accountability forward. So, it will take all of us. It will take more than leaders. It will take members throughout the Senate and the House committed to the work and doing the work in order for us to be successful.