Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released a new budget that considers a budget forecast projecting an increased surplus.
An analysis from the Minnesota Management and Budget office detailed that the state’s budget surplus has increased to roughly $9.3 billion.
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A bipartisan group of state lawmakers in Minnesota introduced legislation to terminate the state’s connections to Russia amid the country’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
According to a release from State Senator Karin Housley (R–Stillwater), the legislation would “divest Minnesota’s state pension fund from Russia and codify Governor Walz’s Executive Order barring Minnesota from contracting with Russian companies into law,” if fully enacted.
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Republicans in the Minnesota Senate continue to push their proposal to cut taxes in the state, pointing to the $9 billion surplus the state has amassed.
However, the forecast warned that “inflation and geopolitical conflict pose risk to the budget and economic outlook.”
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a new law that aims to help first responders and frontline workers in the state.
The legislation, H.F. 1203, was authored by Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) and passed the legislature with wide, bipartisan support.
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Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon is sending letters telling those who haven’t requested an absentee ballot to vote from home. An estimated 2.3 million voters will receive the letter and an absentee ballot application.
The letter asserts that staying safe and keeping other citizens healthy “means voting from home.”Â
In an interview with The Star Tribune, Governor Tim Walz set the first standards for possibly lifting Minnesota’s emergency executive orders. His statement didn’t promise total relinquishment of his executive powers.
According to Walz, under 20 percent community spread and 4 percent test positivity rate would give Minnesota “a really good chance of doing most things.” The governor balked when questioned whether some of the restrictions were too harsh. Walz stated that his state has endured COVID-19 better than many states.
A viral post from The Coffee Nest shared it was forced to close after the state threatened the local business with imprisonment, fines, and more. They have since deleted the post, citing an influx of private hate messages.
Most commenters expressed frustration over the negative impacts of Governor Walz’s executive orders.
Senator Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) continues to challenge Governor Tim Walz’s emergency executive powers, even after their private meeting Thursday. The two disagree about the necessity of Minnesota’s continued state of emergency.
Their meeting marked the 175th day of Walz’s orders.
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U.S. Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx stated in a visit to Minnesota on Sunday that Minnesotans haven’t done enough to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The visit is part of a cross-country tour to gauge how well states are adhering to coronavirus guidelines.
Birx commended the measures instituted by the state. However, she said that Minnesotans needed to do more – especially in rural areas.
The video of a Black homicide suspect’s death reignited riots in Minneapolis on Wednesday. His identity has not been disclosed.
Rumor spread quickly that a police officer who drew his weapon moments prior to the incident was really the one who shot the man, according to KTSP.
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Three churches are suing the governor and his constituents for executive orders that violate their religious liberties. Defendants in the case are Governor Tim Walz, State Attorney General Keith Ellison, and county attorneys Chad Larson, Tom Kelly, and Donald Ryan. The Thomas More Society filed on behalf of the churches.
The lawsuit cites Article I, Section 16 of Minnesota’s Constitution as state precedent protecting the right to worship: “the right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed.” The lawsuit also cites Christian adherence to the Bible’s commandment for believers to worship together.
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Prior to President Trump’s arrival in Minnesota Monday, Governor Walz claimed in a virtual interview that he had warned Trump to avoid Minneapolis. Twin Cities PBS reporter Mary Lahammer uploaded a segment of Walz’s statement on Twitter.
“My activism started sixteen years ago with a presidential visit to Mankato, and in a few hours President Trump will visit Mankato, my hometown. I spent this weekend trying to tell the White House why it was a really bad idea to have President Trump go down and stand at the George Floyd Memorial, and use [it] as a backdrop for his campaign and ignite the pain and the anguish that we’re feeling in Minnesota.”
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Twin Cities media condemned Black Lives Matter protestors for destroying piñatas bearing the likeness of Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Bob Kroll and Twin Cities’ WCCO anchor Liz Collins. The incident occurred in the couple’s neighborhood during a protest on August 15.
Kroll’s piñata was depicted in a police uniform sans pants, while Collins’s was depicted in typical anchorwoman attire. Both piñatas were cross-eyed and held parts of a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) outfit.
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Governor Walz announced in a press release Friday that he will extend Minnesota’s COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency again by 30 days. The state’s peacetime emergency first went into effect March 13 – this is the fifth extension to date.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and rapidly evolving, and we can’t let our guard down,” stated Walz.
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