The Minnesota Senate has voted on a resolution to end Gov. Tim Walz's emergency powers, which have been in effect since March. | Pixabay
The Minnesota Senate has voted on a resolution to end Gov. Tim Walz's emergency powers, which have been in effect since March. | Pixabay
Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency powers continue to be a point of contention in the state legislature as Sen. John Jasinski (R-Faribault) voted for the fourth time in support of a resolution to bring them to an end.
The vote was 36-31 with all 35 GOP members and a Democrat voting in favor of the resolution, the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus reported.
Walz put the state under emergency powers on March 13 based on the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state’s Executive Council extended Walz’s powers through Monday, Oct. 12 during a recent meeting or until both the House and Senate can rescind by a majority vote, according to the press release.
“At the start of the outbreak, the reason for the governor’s emergency powers was so that Minnesota could rapidly respond to a crisis we did not understand, but we met those original goals a long time ago,” Jasinski said in the press release. "We have enough beds. Enough PPE. Enough resources. But local businesses are still suffering. Every single day I hear from more and more people telling me the governor is destroying rural communities. It’s time for him to begin working in good faith with the legislature.”
Alerts Sign-up