St. Paul, MN—State Representative Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, issued the following statement regarding the behavior of activists that were at the State Office Building yesterday in support of House File 2093. Members were verbally accosted following the hearing and activists later verbally abused House staff members. The situation with staff was de-escalated by a state trooper.
“Yesterday’s inexcusable and threatening behavior continues a disturbing trend of activists becoming increasingly hostile in their interactions with elected officials,” said Koznick. “Whether the hostility is directed towards legislators or city council members, the threatening actions of this group, in particular, are completely unacceptable and should be condemned. I thank the state patrol for de-escalating the situation when our staff was confronted. It’s time for Democrats and Republicans alike to not fall victim to the bullying tactics of groups like this and to reject hostility in public discourse.”
The bill would provide a $20 million grant to the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute. Koznick and other members expressed concern about providing $20 million to the group due to concerns about transparency and questions about how the money will be spent. Earlier this week, three Minneapolis City Council members filed police reports after being threatened by activists.
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