Senator Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) and Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) on Wednesday toured the state-owned property that was purchased to use as a morgue for COVID fatalities. The morgue was purchased at a cost of $7 million, assuming the morgues would be overrun. The property was purchased with appropriated money from the COVID-19 Minnesota Fund. 

On the tour, Kiffmeyer and Benson were met with a stockpile of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks and surgical gowns, that have been damaged due to leaks in the roof. Boxes were wet and damaged, making the contents that were meant to keep Minnesotans safe unusable. 

“Seeing this property was utterly shocking,” Kiffmeyer said. “This building was purchased with federal funds and has gone mostly unused for the last year. The only use it has gotten is some security improvements, which again were unnecessary. It makes me wonder why, since the department knew of the leaky roof and general poor conditions, why they would designate this building as the storage facility for the remains of our loved ones. I have yet to find one benefit of this building and that is why I am pushing for the state to sell this unnecessary, leaky, and morbid building.”

Kiffmeyer has introduced and held a hearing on SF 1836, which would force the sale of the state-owned property in St. Paul. Morgues in Minnesota did not have capacity issues during the pandemic, which means this makeshift morgue has only been used as a very expensive and ineffective storage unit.

“This building is not appropriate for storing PPE and it’s not appropriate for storing the dignified remains of a human being,” Benson said. “I cannot imagine how the Department of Health approved the purchase of this building, knowing it was in this condition. This was my second tour of the facility and since it was raining this time, we were able to see the extent of the poor condition of the building. The funding for this unnecessary building could have helped many Minnesotans instead of being wasted on a storage facility that can’t even live up to the low standard of not destroying the contents stored inside.”

Watch Senators Kiffmeyer and Benson discuss their tour here.