(ST. PAUL, MN) –  On Monday, April 20, Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake) and Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne) will introduce legislation providing emergency housing assistance to renters and homeowners across Minnesota who are facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill represents a bipartisan agreement reached with Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul), Chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Division Committee, on April 6. The legislation would provide $30 million in funding for renters and homeowners who have been impacted financially or personally by the COVID-19 pandemic to help cover rent, mortgages, utility payments, and other housing related expenditures. Further, the bill would extend the Governor’s eviction moratorium until June 24 at the latest, with no further extensions allowed solely by executive action. Unfortunately, Governor Walz opposes the bipartisan agreement.

“Through compromise and hard work, we reached a bipartisan agreement with the House that’s good for all parties involved. It provides not only much needed assistance to renters and homeowners during this crisis, but also provides clarity to lessors regarding the ongoing eviction moratorium,” said Senator Westrom, Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee. “Unfortunately, Governor Walz opposes this bipartisan agreement, citing his reduction in supposed executive power regarding the eviction moratorium. Simply put, Governor Walz cares more about personal power than providing emergency housing relief to Minnesotans.”

Governor Walz’s current moratorium on evictions overturns state law and statute. While the governor has the power to declare a peacetime emergency, his ability to overturn existing state statute is not explicitly included in his emergency powers under Minn. Stat. 12.31 and 12.32. Thus, his ability to enact an eviction moratorium is deeply questioned.

“The Senate Republican Caucus and I remain committed to providing emergency housing assistance to renters, homeowners, landlords, and utility providers,” said Senator Weber, Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy Committee. “The governor walked away from our bipartisan plan because we were supposedly interfering with his power.  It is my belief that the governor has overreached his authority, however this agreement between the Senate and House is a reasonable compromise. We would encourage the Governor to support this bill, sign it into law, and come back to the legislature at a future date if more funding or an extension of the eviction moratorium is needed. We are willing to work with him, I just hope he’s willing to work with us.”