Dornink calls for vote on state’s top corrections official
Gene Dornink
Sen. Gene Dornink, R- Brownsdale, is calling for a confirmation vote on the state’s top corrections official after Minnesota sheriffs asked for him to be ousted from office.
At the Minnesota Sheriffs Association (MSA) Winter Conference, the state’s elected sheriffs announced a “Vote of No confidence” in the confirmation of Department of Corrections (DOC) Commissioner Paul Schnell. The MSA is led by Steele County Sheriff Lon Thiele.
On Dec. 23, Sen. Michael Kreun, R- Blaine, called for the Senate to take up Schnell’s confirmation. Dornink has joined in by echoing that call.
“The Walz Administration continues to ignore the concerns of Minnesota law enforcement,” Dornink said. “Elected sheriffs across the state have made it clear that Commissioner Schnell is unfit to partner with local law enforcement. I am calling on the Senate to hold a confirmation vote immediately when the legislature reconvenes. Accountable leadership matters, and the Senate must hold Commissioner Schnell to that standard.”
It has been three years since Commissioner Schnell has served without Senate confirmation. Senate Democrats changed state law so that future governors’ appointees no longer require Senate approval, meaning Commissioner Schnell has avoided a vote to this day.
In a previous statement, the MSA said, “The DOC rulings are inconsistent, and they are unable to back them up with any written law, rule or even protocol. Sadly, their leadership has limited experience in corrections, and still chooses to be unwilling to work with the elected sheriffs of Minnesota. The DOC’s arbitrary decisions have cost local taxpayers millions of dollars as local government must keep rapidly adapting to their unrealistic, and subjective demands.”