REPUBLICAN PARTY

Beltrami County GOP set to host 'Old Fashioned Picnic'

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 17:40:23 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County GOP will hold an "Old Fashioned Picnic" from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, at the Ski Lodge at Buena Vista Ski Area, 19600 Irvine Ave NE, north of Bemidji.

Attendees can enjoy a delicious picnic lunch featuring pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, fresh fruit, rhubarb cake and classic s’mores, a release said.

"We’ll have old-fashioned games, toe-tapping music, and plenty of opportunities to relax and connect with friends, neighbors, and fellow patriots," the release added.

For more information, visit www.beltramigop.net or the Beltrami County Republicans Facebook page.

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Beltrami County GOP set to meet June 9

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:31:06 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County GOP will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 9, at its office in the Paul Bunyan Mall, Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.

Coffee and conversation will start at 6 p.m. All interested Republicans are invited to attend.

For more information about Republican activities and programs, visit beltramigop.com or call (218) 760-1624.

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Ladies' Friday Coffee Klatch to host rummage and bake sale

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 20 May 2025 18:28:19 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County GOP Ladies’ Friday Coffee Klatch will host a rummage and bake sale during Paul Bunyan Mall's Memorial Day sidewalk sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, at its office in the mall Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.

For more information about Republican activities and programs, visit beltramigop.com or call (218) 760-1624.

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Minnesota Governor candidate Brad Kohler presents at Beltrami County GOP meeting

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:39:22 GMT

BEMIDJI — Brad Kohler, candidate for Minnesota Governor, was the special guest at the Beltrami County Republicans' monthly meeting Monday night, May 12.

"Kohler is an interesting candidate," a release said. "Like former Gov. Jesse Ventura, he had a successful professional career in fighting; he was a former UFC heavyweight professional fighter and three-time MMA World Champion. He also has coached wrestling at the University of Ohio and is a recognized author, inventor, small business owner and mentor."

His stated policies of lower taxes, lower regulations, supporting law enforcement and reforming education were well received at the Republican meeting, the release added.

Those interested in finding more information about Kohler’s candidacy can visit bradkohler.com.

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Beltrami County GOP set to meet May 12

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 07 May 2025 17:58:21 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County GOP will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12, at its office in the Paul Bunyan Mall, Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.

A potential candidate for Minnesota governor in the 2026 election is expected to be present, a release said.

Coffee and treats will be served starting at 6 p.m. All interested Republicans are invited to attend.

For more information about Republican activities and programs, visit beltramigop.com or call (218) 760-1624.

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Beltrami County GOP set to meet April 14

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:05:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County GOP will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 14, at its office in the Paul Bunyan Mall, Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.

Coffee and treats will be served starting at 6 p.m. All interested Republicans are invited to attend, a release said.

For more information about Republican activities and programs, visit beltramigop.com or call (218) 760-1624.

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Conservative Women's Coffee Klatch to host bake sale April 5-6

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:02:13 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Conservative Women's Coffee Klatch will hold a rummage and bake sale April 5-6, at the Beltrami GOP office in the Paul Bunyan Mall, Suite 102, 1401 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.

The sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses recall petitions against House Democrats who boycotted session

Michelle Griffith / Minnesota Reformer — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:01:00 GMT

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday, March 17 dismissed the 29 recall petitions against the House Democrats who boycotted the beginning of the legislative session earlier this year, ruling the allegations failed to meet the level of “serious malfeasance or nonfeasance” that’s needed for a successful recall.

The Minnesota Republican Party last month filed recall petitions against 29 House Democrats for being absent from the Capitol for three weeks at the start of the legislative session. All 66 House Democrats boycotted the Capitol, in an effort to deny House Republicans a quorum, but the Minnesota Republican Party only submitted 29 recall repetitions.

In her ruling, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson wrote that recalls require a “serious malfeasance or nonfeasance,” which the petitions didn’t meet.

Republicans based their recall petitions on House Democrats’ Capitol absence and an early swearing-in ceremony they held before the legislative session began, which they argued was illegitimate and a type of malfeasance that met the standards for recall.

“The quorum-related allegations rest on the allegation that each of the state representatives failed ‘to perform [their] constitutional and inherent duty to represent [their] constituents by not attending the initial organizing session and all subsequent sessions thereafter of the Minnesota House of Representatives,’” Hudson wrote.

The petitions also conceded, however, that Democrats eventually returned to the Capitol on Feb. 6, which undermines the seriousness of their absence.

“Critically, this concession also fatally undermines the alleged seriousness of any nonfeasance as alleged in the petitions, which is an independent requirement for recall,” Hudson wrote.

The allegation of malfeasance for the early swearing-in ceremony is also unfounded, Hudson wrote, because the petitions didn’t successfully show that the swearing-in ceremony was held unlawfully, and previous chief justices have dismissed recall petitions for oath-related arguments.

“Each of the recall petitions is dismissed for failure to allege specific facts that, if proven, would constitute grounds for recall,” Hudson wrote.

Democrats feared Republicans would use their temporary 67-66 majority to prevent the seating of DFL Rep. Brad Tabke of Shakopee, so they sought to deny House Republicans a quorum.

The Minnesota Supreme Court in January ruled that 68 members must be present for a quorum, so the 67 House Republican members were unable to conduct business on their own.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor House members eventually conceded the speakership in order to come to a power-sharing agreement and seat Tabke, who won a narrow contest marred by missing ballots.

“Now hopefully we can just focus on getting the work of the legislative session done and put that rancor and division behind us, understanding that none of that needed to happen in the first place,” DFL House leader Melissa Hortman said Monday.

This story was originally published on MinnesotaReformer.com.

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Rep. David Gottfried sworn in, returning Minnesota House to a tie

Mary Murphy — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 23:16:43 GMT

ST. PAUL — Rep. David Gottfried, DFL-Shoreview, was sworn in to the Minnesota House on Monday, March 17, officially returning the House to a 67-67 tie first seen in November.

The swearing-in ceremony on Monday followed Gottfried's comfortable win in last week’s special election for House seat 40B in Roseville.

“Today is a good day for our Roseville and Shoreview communities, who will now have a voice in the Minnesota House,” Gottfried said in a Monday statement. “I want to thank my neighbors for this incredible honor. I look forward to working with our community, my new legislative colleagues, and everyone that has the shared goal of building a Minnesota where life is more affordable, where we stand against the chaos coming from the Trump administration, and where all our neighbors can thrive.”

Gottfried's addition to the House marks the first time the Minnesota Legislature has been full this session.

The Roseville area seat has been open since the end of December, and Republicans have had a 67-66 majority in the House for the first months of the session. The seat became vacant after a Ramsey County judge found that former Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson, a Democrat, did not reside in his district six months prior to November’s general election, as is required by state law.

The House’s power-sharing agreement, established in early February, keeps Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, as speaker of the House and reverts all but one committee to co-chairs. The Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee will remain 5-3 Republican-led.

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Republican bill would classify 'Trump derangement' as a mental illness in Minnesota

Mary Murphy — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 18:35:32 GMT

ST. PAUL — Republicans introduced a bill Monday to define “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness under Minnesota statute.

The bill defines Trump Derangement Syndrome as “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump.”

Sen. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, is chief author of the bill (SF2589), which was introduced Monday, March 17, and referred to the Health and Human Services Committee. Co-authors are Sens. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa; Nathan Wesenberg, R-Little Falls; Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids; and Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe.

“Mental illness is a real problem for many, and I’ve supported resources for those who need help," Lucero said in a statement Monday. "But Democrats need to get real and understand they can’t blame Trump for everything they’ve done. That’s exactly what this bill is highlighting."

Lucero said that in the weeks since Trump took office, Democrats have attempted to make Trump the "scapegoat" for Minnesota’s problems, including the state's $6 billion looming deficit.

The bill identifies symptoms of the syndrome as "Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump's behavior.” Psychic pathology refers in general to disorders and dysfunctions affecting a person's mental and/or behavioral health.

The bill outlines two ways the syndrome might be expressed: “verbal expressions of intense hostility toward President Donald J. Trump; and overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting President Donald J. Trump or anything that symbolizes President Donald J. Trump.”

Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said in a statement Monday that the bill should be withdrawn immediately and that it “trivializes” mental health issues.

“This is possibly the worst bill in Minnesota history,” she said. “If it is meant as a joke, it is a waste of staff time and taxpayer resources that trivializes serious mental health issues. If the authors are serious, it is an affront to free speech and an expression of a dangerous level of loyalty to an authoritarian president.”

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