ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers met again Monday morning to discuss a point of ongoing tension between Republicans and Democrats at the statehouse: the continued emergency powers held by Governor Tim Walz.
Gov. Walz said he wants to extend his peacetime emergency powers by another 30 days because the COVID-19 emergency is not over. He signed Executive Order 20-92 Monday to extend Minnesota's peacetime emergency.
His emergency powers first went into effect at the start of the pandemic, in the spring of 2020. Each time the emergency order is extended, Walz is required to call back lawmakers for a special session, so there's opportunity to repeal.
"It's imperative that we have the tools necessary to respond to this public health emergency," said Walz.
A series of lawsuits aimed at stripping Walz of his emergency powers have been dismissed by the courts in the past several months, but other legal challenges are expected. Walz has noted that all 50 states have declared states of emergency.
Walz is operating under the same part of state law designed to handle natural disasters, such as tornadoes, floods and wildfires.
Also on the floor in this special session was a $1 million bonding bill that lawmakers worked to pass all summer long. The bill would allocate money to infrastructure projects across the state, including railroad repairs, university building maintenance and water treatment plants in small Minnesota communities.