Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison appeared in front of the MN House State Government and Finance Committee to argue for a budget increase for the AG's office in the upcoming biennium. The Legislature, during odd numbered years, constructs a two-year budget that starts in July. Ellison believes that his office has a need for a roughly 8% increase in their operating budget. 

What would the budget go towards? Ellison stated in committee that his office has an increasing workload, which includes enforcement of the Governor's executive orders. He argued that the AG's office needs to retain it's staff, which according to him, has been in contact with over 900 businesses in the state regarding compliance of the Governor's executive orders and has sued 12 of them.

Rep Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) asked Ellison if he views the Governor's orders as law, which according to Minnesota's Constitution, is the sole responsibility of the legislative branch. Ellison responded that he indeed believes the Governor has the ability to unilaterally create laws in the state. How extreme of a statement is that for Minnesota's top legal officer!

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka stated in December that Senate Republicans will look to cut the Attorney General's budget. We'll see if they follow through with that in the coming months.

Here's the video of Committee Hearing:

Things are moving incredibly fast in politics right now, so let me catch you up on where things stand right now...

Liberty champion Erik Mortensen was prepared and ready to make another motion on Monday to get a vote on the End Walz' Emergency Power Resolution. His objective this year is to stop Walz' unilateral reign and then make him pay for it.

Seeing that he was going to be upstaged by a freshman legislator, Minority Leader & RINO Kurt Daudt arranged a deal with the Democrat Speaker to be recognized first on the exact same motion. Of course, with Daudt, an agreement was made between Democrats and Republicans that there wasn't going to be a chance for success on the motion. Instead they have other ideas for Minnesota. More on that in a minute.

What was most telling about the vote is that Reps Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede, Lislegard, Sundin and Ecklund are clearly a bunch of Con Artists who betrayed their voters. Last year, with an important election looming, they voted to remove Governor Walz' Emergency Powers when the chance of it passing was small. But now when their vote mattered, they reneged on their promise to their constituents.

Which means it's our job now to apply pain! That's all politicians respond to in the end. They care about one thing: getting re-elected. So we're making sure that voters in their district know about their betrayal. 

We now have radio ads up in Winona, Moorhead, Hibbing, Virginia, Moose Lake and Cloquet. Here's our ad on Con Artist Julie Sandstede:

We also have lit dropping teams heading up to several districts this weekend to spread the message of how politicians like Julie Sandstede are betraying them. 

Now, the betrayal doesn't stop with these six Democrat Con Artists. There's also a significant problem in the Republican ranks. Remember when we told you last week how this fight would go down? Let's recap...

First they will try to Kill the Resolution. The Democrats certainly did a good job blocking it the first week of the Legislature, but we got around that hurdle.

Secondly, they would avoid hearing it. Well, that didn't work either because we understood the rules of the House. So we got a vote on Ending Walz' Emergency Powers. 

When killing and avoiding doesn't work, Democrat, and even Republican leadership, will start watering down the Resolution. And that's precisely where they want this battle to go!

While we are busy getting clean votes on the End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution and pressuring vulnerable Democrats to do the right thing, Daudt and Democrat leadership are behind closed doors, crafting a Fake End Walz' Power bill. In fact, they even assembled a special committee with Con Artist Gene Pelowski and RINO Kurt Daudt as the leads. 

SEE WHO IS ON THE FAKE END WALZ' POWERS COMMITTEE

The committee is tasked to create a bill, some time in the next couple weeks, to reconfigure Chapter 12 Emergency Powers law. In other words, they are seeking to make Walz' powers permanent.

Here's how you know it's a Fake Bill. Unlike the End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution, a bill actually requires the Governor's signature. How good could this bill be if Governor Walz is willing to sign it? Either they'll pass something so pathetic, and irrelevant, or they will waste a month of our time with the false hope that Walz' Powers will be killed, only to watch him veto it in the end.

That's why we MUST oppose the Fake End Walz' Powers bill.

Rep Marion O'Neill

phone: 651-296-5063

email: [email protected]

And what about aspiring gubernatorial candidate Rep Barb Haley of Red Wing? Why is she working against us to craft such a piece of garbage?!

Rep Barb Haley

phone: 651-296-8635

email: [email protected]

I'd recommend telling them to STOP supporting the Fake End Walz' Power bill on the Subcommittee on Legislative Reform. No good bill that actually Ends Walz' Emergency Powers will get his signature. Stop wasting time and focus on forcing a vote on Mortensen's End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution.

To sum things up. We learned this week that Reps Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede, Lislegard, Sundin & Ecklund are a bunch of Con Artists who betrayed their voters on Ending Walz' Emergency Powers. It's our job at Action 4 Liberty to bring the pain, which is why we are executing a large pressure campaign in their districts. As pointed out last week, when they can't kill the Resolution or avoid hearing it, they will water it down with a Fake End Walz' Powers bill. Unfortunately, Republicans like Marion O'Neill and Barb Haley are betraying their voters by participating in the crafting of the fake bill.

Let's keep the pressure on these legislators. We've been building resources for this fight and we know YOU will keep helping us out until we finally win and End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all.

The list of radical, extreme measures taking by Governor Walz against our beloved small businesses continues to grow. This week we're learning that his majesty is trying to confiscate earnings by the struggling small businesses who opened up in defiance of his unilateral, illegal orders. Most of them, opened up to try to make ends meet.

Using the Attorney General's office, Walz is attempting to get these small business owners to sign a document that would require them to pay the state "total gross revenue it received for indoor on-premise consumption of food and beverages" while the Governor unilaterally declared them to be closed. The document, if signed, would then compel the business owners, by signature, to submit to all future orders by the Governor.

Six Democrats who voted last year to End Walz' Emergency Powers, reneged on their commitment to voters and constituents by voting Monday with Metro Democrats to protect Walz' Emergency Powers indefinitely. Reps Paul Marquart, Gene Pelowski, Julie Sandstede, Dave Lislegard, Mike Sundin and Rob Ecklund all represent rural communities in Greater Minnesota. In the case of Rep Gene Pelowski (Winona), he lied to his voters by stating two weeks ago in the Star Tribune that he would vote to End Walz' Emergency Powers.

At this point, it looks like the six Democrats are complete Con Artists. They voted to End Walz' Powers before the critical election, knowing that voters would vote them out. But once the election was over, we quickly learned they were frauds. That has their constituents furious!

Three of the six (Pelowski, Sandstede and Lislegard) have been tapped by Metro Democrat leadership to serve on a committee that is crafting a Fake End Walz' Powers bill that would essentially make his powers permanent. Rep Barb Haley (Red Wing) is the Republican lead on this awful bill. Keep in mind, it's a bill, so it would require the Governor's signature. No one believes he's going to sign a bill that has any significance.

Rep Erik Mortensen has pledged to continue brining up the vote on the End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution, so we'll give these Con Artists a chance at redemption. But in the meantime, Action 4 Liberty is on radio stations in their districts alerting voters to what they are doing.

Our volunteer teams are on the phones and in the districts talking to voters directly. Last weekend we had teams in Moose Lake, Cloquet, Hibbing, Virginia and Winona doing door to door lit drops.

Action 4 Liberty will not quit until Governor Walz' Emergency Powers are gone and he pays for what he has done to our businesses and the civil liberties of Minnesotans. If you would like to help out with our pressure campaign, please consider making a donation today:

Support Our Pressure Campaign

Here's contact info for the CON ARTISTS who BETRAYED their voters:

Rep Paul Marquart - 701-371-1949 - [email protected]

Rep Gene Pelowski - 507-458-5988 - [email protected]

Rep Julie Sandstede - 218-969-7009 - [email protected]

Rep Dave Lislegard - 218-343-7965 - [email protected]

Rep Mike Sundin - 218-391-5911 - [email protected]

Rep Rob Ecklund - 218-341-6133 - [email protected] 

We'll do the job here that the mainstream media refuses to do. Rep Gene Pelowski lied to his voters and constituents two weeks ago when he stated to the Star Tribune that he will "continue to support" an end to Walz' Emergency Powers. In fact, he's been voting that way since last June.

But that statement turned out to be a lie. On Monday, Rep Gene Pelowski voted against the motion to End Walz' Emergency Powers on the House floor, speaking out against it when brought for a vote. Instead, Pelowski plans to craft a Fake End Walz' Powers bill in committee, forcing Minnesotans to wait weeks longer to finally settle the score. Meanwhile, several restaurants are under attack by Walz' Health Dept for opening up back in December. 

Pelowski joins the list of six House Democrat Con Artists who voted last year to End Walz' Emergency Powers to fool their voters, but reversed their previous vote when it really mattered. The other politicians are Paul Marquart (Moorhead), Julie Sandstede (Hibbing), Dave Lislegard (Virginia), Mike Sundin (Cloquet) and Rob Ecklund (International Falls).

Action 4 Liberty calls for all Legislators to retake their Constitutional powers back from the Governor.

SIGN THE PETITION

There's no reason to be overtly confrontational in life, until someone assaults your way of life or your liberty. When that happens, we must be willing to be stern and aggressive. 

That's why politicians like Gene Pelowski, Paul Marquart, Dave Lislegard, Julie Sandstede, Mike Sundin and Rob Ecklund are about to see how hard we will work to make sure every voter in their district knows that they are siding with radical, Metro Democrats over their own constituents!

Despite voting to End Walz' Emergency Powers back in 2020 - when it was "easy" - they are now showing their true colors! When Rep Erik Mortensen stood up and challenged the Speaker of the House on Tuesday to get a vote on the End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution, those six Democrats voted against his motion and against YOU.

In other words, their votes last year to End Walz' Emergency Powers were nothing more than a con. We finally have the numbers to win and they are cowering to the Democrat elites. What a shame.

So we're following through with our promise to you and taking our message to the airwaves, newspaper pages, doors, and mailboxes to inform their voters that they're protecting Walz' Emergency Powers.

We have radio ads on the airwaves in markets throughout Minnesota. For example, here's our radio ad running against Dave Lislegard:

Politicians like Dave Lislegard think we're not paying attention. They think we aren't going to do anything about their vote last week. They couldn't be more WRONG!

Our volunteer teams spent 16 hours this weekend going door to door, business to business passing out lit in places like Moose Lake, Cloquet, Hibbing, Virginia, Eveleth and Ely. And we'll be in even more places on Monday.

What makes Action 4 Liberty different than other groups out there is that we REFUSE TO QUIT. People are sick of conservatives not fighting tough. You won't have to worry about that with us. 

It would be a good idea for Reps Pelowski, Marquart, Lislegard, Sandstede, Sundin and Ecklund to pay attention here. If they don't want the pain of our pressure campaign, they need to start voting against Governor Walz and with their constituents THIS WEEK.  

And I mean it. We've been building resources for this fight and we know YOU will keep helping us out until we finally win and End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all.

It's going to be incredibly painful for Ecklund, Lislegard, Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede and Sundin if they want to put Governor Walz' powers ahead of the needs of their constituents. Rep Erik Mortensen will be right back at it again this week, making a motion to vote on the End Walz' Emergency Powers Resolution.

Democrat leaders will continue to do everything they can to avoid an actual vote by using parliamentary procedures. Including changing the House Rules to require a 60% threshold to bring the vote to the Floor. We'll hold Ecklund, Lislegard, Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede and Sundin personally accountable if this passes.

We also now know that a watered-down, Fake End Walz' Powers bill is being drafted with help from Republican Rep Barb Haley. Democrat leadership stated this bill will likely get a vote in a couple weeks. This also MUST be opposed

No deals! No compromise! Nothing else until we End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all!!!

In an unprecedented move, Governor Tim Walz sent a letter to the Minnesota Legislature listing a number of demands on action that would need to be met before he would consider relinquishing his emergency powers - essentially holding the legislature hostage in exercising their law making powers. Walz has abused his power as Governor and has acted unilaterally in crafting COVID related policies that have shutdown small businesses and put citizens in lockdown. Although highly illegal and contrary to the Constitution, Minnesota courts, which are full of political appointees, have protected him in the past 9 months.

Amongst the demands on the legislature, which would include the Republican controlled Senate, are:

• Mask mandate in public indoor spaces and businesses.
• Continue the moratorium on evictions, so property owners continue to shoulder the burden of non-paying tenants
• Flexibility for school districts to choose their learning models at the local level, with appropriate safety precautions.
• Rules that ensure businesses continue following dictates of the MN Dept of Health 
• Protections for workers from unsafe conditions, as well as protection against any retaliation from raising concerns about workplace safety.
• Changes to the state's unemployment insurance program so more people without jobs can receive timely support. 
• Protections for Minnesotans against price gouging on essential goods and services and garnishment of COVID-19 relief payments

Action 4 Liberty strongly opposes the Legislature following Walz' demands. Now, more than ever, it's time for legislators to do the right thing and End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all. 

Here's the letter:

Governor Walz continues exercising his illegal and immoral Emergency Orders, deciding this afternoon to give crumbs to Minnesotans in the face of building pressure to his powers. Instead of turning to freedom and allowing all of us to determine how best to control COVID, Walz decreed that:

- Bars and restaurants can operate at 50% capacity indoors, but no more than 150 people. He mandates how many can sit at a table and that reservations must be made so the government can trace people. Also, bars must close at 10 p.m.

- Gyms can only operate at 25% capacity indoors, but no more than 150 people. 9 feet of distance between exercises and only 25 people allowed in a fitness class at one time.

- Bowling alleys, movie theaters and museums will be permitted at 25% capacity, but no more than 150 people. 

- Youth sports still require masks to be worn and only up to 150 people can attend as spectators 

- Religious worship can only be practiced at 50% capacity

Action 4 Liberty believes in full freedom. The Governor acts as a king if he believes he can continue to dictate to the people how they can operate their businesses. We must continue to do everything we can to End Walz' Emergency Powers immediately. 

SIGN THE END WALZ' POWERS PETITION

Democrat Leaders CROSSED A LINE today. They completely ignored the Rules of the Minnesota House in order to avoid hearing the Resolution to End Walz' Emergency Powers.

But thankfully Rep Erik Mortenson, on his first day in office, challenged the Democrats and made a motion to bring forward the Resolution. He believes what we all believe: there's no more important issue in Minnesota right now than Ending Walz' Emergency Powers.

A veteran legislator told Mort back in November that he should just be quiet and learn the process for the first two years. Thankfully Mort didn't listen to that swamp dweller!

Democrat leadership saw how effective your calls and emails were. They had a crisis on their hands last night. Which is precisely why they decided to ignore Mortensen's Resolution and motion today which violates the Rules of the House. 

How do they expect us to peacefully participate in the political process if they just throw out the rules?! 

So Mort made a bold move in his first speech in the Legislature and challenged Democrat leadership in front of all Minnesota. And when ruled out of order, he and others didn't quit!

WATCH HERE TO SEE HOW THE FLOOR SESSION WENT DOWN (INCLUDES OUR COMMENTARY):

As you can see, Mort's motion was ruled out of order by the Speaker of the House. So Republicans quickly moved to challenge the ruling of the Speaker. If overruled, we would've got a clean vote to End Walz' Emergency Powers.

But it turns out that Reps Ecklund, Lislegard, Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede and Sundin are all a bunch of FRAUDS! When their vote actually mattered to End Walz' Emergency Powers, they voted against their voters and their constituents. 

Now comes the time for our pressure campaign. We will make sure every voter in their districts knows how their legislator is voting. And we have lined up digital ads, print ads, call campaigns and much more. Legislators like Sandstede, who won by only 50 votes in November, have two options: vote the right way and End Walz' Emergency Powers or start to see the pain from our massive pressure campaign.

And I mean it. We've been building resources for this fight and we know YOU will keep helping us out until we finally win and End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all.

It's going to be incredibly painful for Ecklund, Lislegard, Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede and Sundin if they want to put Governor Walz' powers ahead of the needs of their constituents. 

Democrat leaders will continue to do everything they can to avoid an actual vote by using parliamentary procedures. Including changing the House Rules to require a 60% threshold to bring the vote to the Floor. We'll hold Ecklund, Lislegard, Marquart, Pelowski, Sandstede and Sundin personally accountable if this passes.

We also now know that a water-downed, Fake End Walz' Powers bill is being drafted with help from Republican Rep Barb Haley. Democrat leadership stated this bill will likely get a vote in a couple weeks. This also MUST be opposed

You see why the team at Action 4 Liberty has to work around the clock in this fight? They are pulling every trick in the book.

I have to ask you for some help. We're on the goal line now; we're so close. Help us by doing one of two things. Support our pressure campaign by volunteering to make phone calls or by helping with a donation so we can hire more callers, buy more ads, and ratchet up the pressure.

YES, I want to Volunteer

I don't have the time, but would like to donate

We still need YOUR help to finish this off. We owe it to Larvita, Jane, Jeremiah, Lisa and all the other businesses who are under assault by Governor Walz. Let's have their back and End Walz' Emergency Powers once and for all.

These legislators can't outrun us forever. This will be up for a vote again soon. And as long as you help fund our pressure campaign or volunteer your time, we can assure you these legislators will feel the pain!

Please help put the pressure on these cowardly, fraudulent Democrats with a donation of $100. If that's too steep, $50 or $25 can go along way to holding them accountable. Want to help even more, consider a one time donation of $500. We need you on board!

Jake Duesenberg

President, Action 4 Liberty

The Minnesota Attorney General's office asked the 2nd Circuit Court to impose further sanctions on Larvita McFarquhar, which included "imprisonment in the county work farm" for up to 6 months. Larvita, a single mother of four and small business owner, made news in November for opening up her restaurant Havens Gardens in defiance of the Governor's illegal executive orders. She was sued by Attorney General Keith Ellison in Ramsey County, despite her restaurant and place of residence being over 100 miles away in southern Minnesota. 

In mid-December, the court ruled in favor of the AG and a subsequent hearing determined that Larvita would be fined $250 a day. However, Larvita refused to follow the Governor's orders, which led to more government bullying. The AG's office filed a Motion for Further Contempt Sanctions that went a step further than the $250 a day fine; they want her imprisoned. 

(See Full Motion here)

Larvita described the move in an emotional Facebook Live video this afternoon claiming the state is trying to "enslave" her. "They want me to stop working at my business, to enslave me, jail me, so I can work for the state" said Larvita. 

Is this America? Our government is drunk with power and trying to crush small businesses, take mothers away from their families and throw them into work farms. This non-sense must STOP NOW!

Show your support for Larvita by signing the petition:

STAND WITH LARIVTA