The Governor called the Senate back to the Capitol today for a third special session. In response, Senate Republicans presented a resolution intended to eliminate the Governor’s peacetime emergency powers initially enacted to prepare the state for the COVID-19 pandemic. If the House agrees, it would put an end to the state’s longest peacetime emergency in history. Walz first put the state under emergency powers on March 13, 2020.

“This is the third time we have sent this message to Governor Walz and given the House the chance to join us to restore the legislative balance as we recover from COVID-19 together,” said Senator Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point). “We are taking this pandemic seriously and it is for that very reason that we want to work alongside the Governor and fulfill our legislative duty on behalf of the Minnesotans who elected us to lead.”