David W. Hann Sonate Repwbliean Leader 147 State Office Building St. Paul, Minnesota $5190 Ofiie Phone: 651-296-1749 State of Minnesota April 15, 2016 Sen. Tom Bakk Senate Majority Leader 3113 Minnesota Senate Bldg. 95 University Avenue W. St. Paul, MN 55155 Sen. Bakk: thas been brought to my attention you are using your position as Senator and as Majority Leader to influence the actions of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. According to public testimony at the Board’s April 12, 2016 meeting, you sent an email to business owner Dennis Rhysdahl saying you were “very concerned” and “already hearing again what [you've] heard many times before — that Cook County really doesn’t belongin the Taconite Relief District, and ifthey’re going to take an action like this, they don't deserve to continue to be involved.” Of course you know that removing Cook County from the Taconite Relief District (which could be done by the Minnesota Legislature) would have a serious and negative impact ‘on their budget and on the property tax payers of the entire county. After reading articles about this incident in the Duluth News Tribune yesterday and the Minneapolis Star Tribune today, | am concerned the reputation of the Minnesota Senate is being harmed by a public perception of our Majority Leader threatening a county board with serious financial repercussions if they vote the wrong way on a resolution. You can clear up any appearance of impropriety by immediately making public the email you sent to Mr. Rysdahl referenced in his public testimony. if you were only trying to be “helpful (as you told the Star Tribune), it will be made clear in your email. If the ‘email shows you threatened the Board with a loss of funding, then the public will lose confidence in the Senate’s ability to conduct its business in a fair and impartial manner. c: Rules and Administration en laid hann@senatenn Serving Eden Prairie and MinnetonkaAlthough the legislature is not subject to the Minnesota Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes 13,601 Subd. 2 does allow you to release this email: “Correspondence between individuals and elected officials is private data on individuals, but may be made public. by either the sender or the recipient.” Please release the email you sent to Mr. Rysdahl so the public can determine whether or not you misused your position as a state senator to unduly influence the Cook County Board. “Whelal— Senate Minority Leader Minnesota State Senate