Transportation Commissioner Molnau ousted

02/28/2008

Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau was ousted from her job today by the Minnesota Senate, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced that he had appointed her chief assistant to be acting commissioner. Molnau still holds her elected position as lieutenant governor.


By MARK BRUNSWICK AND KEVIN DUCHSCHERE,
Star Tribune
February 28, 2008


Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau was ousted from her job today by the Minnesota Senate, which voted 44 to 22 not to confirm her.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty immediately announced that he had appointed Bob McFarlin, Molnau's chief assistant, to be acting commission of the state's transportation department.

Molnau still holds her elected position as lieutenant governor, but the vote ends her stormy career as head of MnDOT, which has been rocked by accusations of poor management, particularly after the collapse of the I-35W bridge in August.

In a statement, Molnau said that her service as transportation commissioner was "one of the best experiences of my life. It has been my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Minnesota alongside the dedicated professionals in the department. I am proud of the agency's accomplishments in increasing infrastructure investment, improving efficiency and advancing innovation."

Pawlenty said in a statement that MnDOT had completed more road and bridge projects in Molnau's five years as commissioner than in any other comparable period in the state's history, and that several major projects had been accelerated.

"The DFL's decision to remove the lieutenant governor from her post at MnDOT is disappointing," Pawlenty's statement said. "It also shows they're more interested in partisanship than working together on the important issues facing our state."