MN Jobs Coalition Statement on Peggy Flanagan & Fact Sheet

Saint Paul, Minn. – Minnesota Jobs Coalition Executive Director John Rouleau issued the following statement in response to Walz naming Peggy Flanagan as his running mate.

“Tim Walz’s campaign for governor has hit the iceberg. His selection of hard-left progressive Peggy Flanagan doesn’t change that. A fierce opponent of Enbridge Line 3, Flanagan has tried to make it harder for miners to mine, farmers to farm and businesses to thrive. Her selection by Walz is a desperate attempt to appease the most liberal activists in the DFL.”

PEGGY FLANAGAN FACT SHEET

Flanagan Is Out Of Touch

Flanagan Opposed Bill To Penalize Protesters Who Shut Down Freeways. “This week, the House of Representatives will hear House File 322, a bill that enacts severe financial punishments on protesters in the state of Minnesota. This spiteful legislation. introduced by Republican Rep. Nick Zerwas, will have a chilling effect on free speech in Minnesota and threatens one of the most cherished traditions in our country: the right to peacefully assemble.” (State Representative Peggy Flanagan, Facebook Page, 1/23/17)

Flanagan Slammed Enbridge Line 3 Plan To Bring Jobs To Greater Minnesota. “Enbridge acts as it pleases without regard for Native people, and we as the Native American Caucus in the Minnesota House oppose its current proposed pipeline route.” (Jamie Becker-Finn, Peggy Flanagan, Susan Allen and Mary Kunesh-Podein, “Enbridge plan for new Line 3 just disregards the Ojibwe,” Star Tribune, 7/24/17)

Flanagan Denounced Bill Which Funded Roads And Bridges Without Raising Taxes. (Peggy Flanagan, Twitter Feed, 3/31/17)

Flanagan Voted Against Bill That Cut Taxes On Social Security Income. (Journal of the House, p. 40, 5/5/17)

Flanagan Backs Big Government Health Care Takeover. “I’m proud to join my DFL colleagues in calling for a public insurance option here in Minnesota. If passed, our proposal would allow anyone to purchase MinnesotaCare, an option currently only available to a select few low-income people in the state.” (State Rep. Peggy Flanagan, Legislative Update, 1/27/17)

Flanagan At Odds With Walz

On The National Rifle Association (NRA)

Flanagan “Horrified” By NRA. (Peggy Flanagan, Twitter Feed, 12/21/12)

Walz: “I’m Proud To Stand With The NRA To Protect Our Second Amendment Rights, And I’m Truly Grateful For Their Endorsement.” (National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund, Press Release, “NRA-PVF Endorses Tim Walz for Re-election to U.S. House of Representatives,” 9/9/08)

Walz Ran Ads Boasting About His NRA Support. (Walz for Congress, “NRA Endorsed,” You Tube, Published 10/2/10)

On Refugees

Walz Offered “Stinging Rebuke” To Obama On Refugee Resettlement. “Democratic U.S. Reps. Tim Walz, Collin Peterson and Rick Nolan joined with a majority of Republicans Thursday in support of a measure to create new obstacles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees trying to enter the United States, offering a stinging rebuke of President Obama.” (Allison Sherry, “Minn. Democrats join with GOP to pass bill to intensify refugee screening,” Star Tribune, 11/19/15)

Flanagan: “As A Native Woman Whose Ancestors Originally Inhabited This Land, I Know The Importance Of Welcoming The Stranger.” (State Rep. Peggy Flanagan, Legislative Update, 1/27/17)

Flanagan: In Her Own Words

Flanagan Criticized Military Recruitment Of Students. “‘Everyone knows military recruiters are going after students that are poor and students of color. That’s many of our students,’ Board Member Peggy Flanagan said. ‘When I talk to students, it’s what they’re passionate about.’” (Patrice Relerford, “Military recruiters’ school efforts criticized,” Star Tribune, 7/27/05)

Flanagan: St. Cloud State University Lacked “Appreciation For Diversity.” “She waves to a former high school classmate across the room, pulls back her glossy dark hair, and talks about growing up in St. Louis Park (‘It was like, Oh, you’re Native American, that’s cool,’ and it wasn’t a big deal’) and the culture shock she later experienced at St. Cloud State (a place with what she politely terms ‘a lack of appreciation for diversity’).” (Tim Gihring and Rachel Hutton, “Movers & Makers,” Minnesota Monthly, 3/05)

Flanagan: Failed Kerry/Edwards Ticket A “Dream Team,” Edwards Selection As Kerry Running Mate “Best Choice.” “Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic delegate from Minneapolis, said she liked Edwards’ emphasis on poverty during his abandoned presidential campaign and she hopes his selection will elevate the issue on Kerry’s radar. ‘It’s kind of the dream team in my mind,’ Flanagan said. ‘He made the best choice.’” (Brian Bakst, “Minnesota Democrats pumped up over Edwards pick,” Associated Press, 7/6/04)