In a 44-22 vote by Minnesota’s state Senate today, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau was removed from her post as Commissioner of Transportation.

The Senate declined to confirm Molnau, who has been under fire for her response to the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge disaster and for subsequent media revelations about the state of MnDOT management under her regime.

“This is a responsibility that none of us takes lightly,” said Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Stillwater, who chairs the Senate transportation committee. “These two full-time jobs are just too much for anyone to be able to discharge appropriately.”

Murphy added, “This brings no one joy or satisfaction. None.”

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, was blunt.

“We have a crumbling transportation system,” said Pogemiller. “This is not about Carol Molnau, this is about leadership, the failure of leadership of the governor of this state to accept responsibility for a mistake he made.”

Pogemiller added, “The level of leadership in this department is not what Minnesotans deserve.”

Republicans denounced the move as “slash and burn politics,” and accused the DFL of targeting Molnau for political reasons.

“We did see commissioners removed in the dead of night two years ago. That was a shameful moment for this body. And I fear that’s what we’re going to do again,” said Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie.

“A crumbling transportation system? What? I don’t see that,” said Sen. Dick Day, R-Owatonna. “Why isn’t society and why aren’t Minnesotans looking at us and saying, ‘why are you blaming this lady?’”

Citing the DFL’s removal of former education commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke, Day added, “I don’t know if there’s something about women and jobs, or what, but it’s kind of interesting to me that finally we’re tackling the Commissioner of Transportation.”

Sen. Steve Dille, R-Bethel, made a motion to table the decision for a month or two; the motion failed.

“Think about what we’re doing to one of the finest public servants who’s ever walked the halls of this Capitol,” said Senate Minority Leader David Senjem. “It’s a sad day. It’s absolutely a sad day.”But Murphy disagreed. Noting that just a year ago, Molnau had said no additional funding was needed for transportation, Murphy said, “Folks, when we say that a good job has been done right down the line, I dispute some of those facts.”

And Sen. Katie Sieben, DFL-Newport, said that her vote was based on performance.

“My vote today isn’t political, and it’s not personal,” she said. “My vote today is about accountability.”

A controversial tenure

Molnau’s role as MnDOT chief has been controversial from the start. An ardent foe of transit, Molnau clashed even with Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty over the Northstar rail line.

Molnau later drew fire after the collapse of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge for what was viewed as a defensive performance. Molnau was out of the state when the bridge collapsed, and she was attacked for not returning immediately. She also received criticism for the actions of some of her subordinates, including Sonia Morphew Pitt, the MnDOT official in charge of emergency response, who remained out of the state for 10 days following the disaster.

Molnau was the first Lt. Governor to serve simultaneously as a commissioner. While she has been removed as the head of MnDOT, she will remain in her elected position as lieutenant governor.