On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate voted for an eighth time on a 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 more than a year ago, back on March 13, 2020.

“In the interest of supporting cooperation, it is time for Governor Walz to end his emergency powers and work with the legislature on solutions that best serve the interests of Minnesota,” Senator Bill Weber said (R-Luverne). “While COVID continues to be a threat, Minnesotans know how to take the proper precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones. Our state has had adequate time to prepare for the virus, and we are no longer facing the dilemma of an overrun health care system.  As the situation continues to become more approachable, which has been reinforced by the data, we must come back to the reality where our government respects the balance of powers and the executive and legislature work as equal partners to overcome our problems.”

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

Earlier this week, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation that would reassert a fair balance of governing power between the legislative branch and the executive branch during future states of emergency. That bill would require the Governor to obtain legislative approval to extend any emergency declaration beyond 30 days instead of the current system where the legislature needs to vote to end powers.