On Monday, the Minnesota Senate voted on a bipartisan resolution to end Governor Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency powers relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote aims to end the state’s longest peacetime emergency in history, which began when Gov. Walz first put the state under emergency powers back on March 13, 2020.

“Today, we voted to end the Governor Walz’s peacetime emergency powers because it is time to restore the balance between the executive and legislative branches and give Minnesotans their voices back in government,” said Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville).  “Repeatedly now, Governor Walz has neglected to acknowledge the regional diversity of our state and the disparate impact his policies have had on our communities. The choices made by this Governor and his administration over the past four months have had a devastating impact on the rural parts of the state, and Governor Walz’s inability to adjust to account for those shortcomings has demonstrated the renewed need for collaboration to help everyone in our state. Coupled with the decreasing amount of new cases and single-digit deaths, we decided today to end those powers and take a seat at the table to ensure that the voices of our communities are heard while we continue to deal with this virus and begin rebuilding our state.”

The vote to end the peacetime emergency was passed 36-31 with bipartisan support. The resolution now heads to the House, where it requires majority support before it can be adopted.