State Sen. Tom Bakk, the Senate minority leader, says repayment by Republicans of $47 for printing costs of a campaign pamphlet distributed at precinct caucuses isn't enough.
Republican leaders had admitted last week that they'd made a mistake in including a link to campaign donations on the pamphlet, which had been prepared using taxpayer resources. The major gist of the pamphlet was emphasizing GOP efforts to fight Gov. Mark Dayton's budget, but it also referred people to a campaign donation website. Republican spokesman Steve Sviggum said it was his error and said $47 would be repaid.
But Bakk said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader David Senjem that the the Senate Rules Committee should examine the issue and determine the full cost to the public of its production.
"I commend the Senate Republican caucus for publicly admitting wrongdoing by Republican senators who used state resources to produce campaign materials at taxpayer expense," Bakk said in the letter. "However, I remain deeply concerned by the failure to acknowledge the full cost to the Senate."
He said that the committee should determine the costs of staff time, materials and equipment usage in preparing, printing and distributing the pamphlets.
Senjem said this morning that he's willing to have the committee look into it further.