ST. PAUL, Minn. — Rep. Bob Vogel, R-Elko New Market, issued the following statement after it was reported Gov. Mark Dayton issued potentially unauthorized taxpayer-funded severance payments, awarding nearly $80,000 to state employees who voluntarily departed.
“The governor’s practice of providing bonuses to state workers who voluntarily leave their positions is a departure from the norm and needs to be addressed by the Legislature in the 2017 session,” Vogel said. “It was bad enough when the governor unilaterally provided dozens of his appointees with raises totaling more than $800,000 last year, but paying tens of thousands of dollars more to people leaving on their own free will is clearly another ill-advised use of taxpayer dollars. More checks and balances are in order to instill transparency and accountability.”
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