House DFL agrees to pay legal fees for lawmaker in private workplace dispute
By Tom Hauser
KSTP
Democrats on the Minnesota House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee approved more than $10,000 in taxpayer funds to pay for the legal fees of a member who was entangled in a dispute with her private employer. All Republicans on the committee voted against the payment saying it would set a bad precedent.
This all started when Rep. Bianca Virnig of Eagan was elected to the House as a Democrat in a special election and sworn in last January serving a district in the Eagan-Mendota Heights area. Her new position as a state lawmaker created a conflict with her employer, Brightworks, a non-profit established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1976 to provide services to public schools and school districts, according to its website.
“When she returned to her employment her employer dramatically cut back her hours and her pay based on her new job she held as a part-time state legislator,” Rep. Jamie Long, DFL Majority Leader, said at a House Rules Committee meeting Tuesday. “Since this was related to her work as a Minnesota representative we are proposing we pay for those legal costs.”
That proposed payment of $10,391.40 by taxpayers generated protests from Republicans on the committee.
“I don’t see why we should be paying for her legal fees and as we’ve just heard it’s never been done before and I just find this to be troubling,” said Rep. Jim Nash(R — Waconia).
Republicans were concerned they were being asked to approve taxpayer funds for a private labor dispute without being shown the terms of Virnig’s separation agreement from her employer.
“I have no idea why taxpayers should be on the hook with it especially when we don’t even know what the settlement is,” Rep. Kristin Robbins(R — Maple Grove) said during the virtual committee hearing. “Did she get a settlement for $10,000? $100,000? A million dollars?”
The committee approved the payment on a 9 to 5 vote with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans voting against.
Virnig did not testify at the hearing. She was unavailable for comment when 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to her office.