Governor Walz Convenes Special Session of the Minnesota Legislature

Statement

Governor Tim Walz today announced that he will convene a special legislative session beginning on August 12, 2020. Governor Walz intends to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days to ensure the state can continue to quickly and effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As long as the COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to Minnesotans, it is my duty to work to provide our state with the tools we need to fight this." said Governor Walz. "The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and rapidly evolving, and we can't let our guard down."

"The emergency is not over," said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. "As the upcoming fall brings new unknowns in the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to acting quickly to keep Minnesotans healthy, safe, and informed during this public health crisis."

Minnesota's peacetime emergency is consistent with the ongoing national emergency declared by the President and the emergencies declared in every state in the U.S. These states of emergency allow governors and other officials to quickly respond to rapidly evolving threats stemming from COVID-19.

Since the Governor declared a peacetime emergency, Minnesota has taken strong steps to respond to and provide relief for COVID-19, including enhancing protections for veterans in our veterans homes, activating the National Guard to assist in relief efforts, partnering with Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota to launch a statewide testing strategy to test all symptomatic people, and providing economic relief and stability to those impacted by the pandemic.

Source