Gov. Tim Walz's Emergency Powers To End Thursday

ST. PAUL, MN — Gov. Tim Walz will end his own emergency powers Thursday after more than a year. Walz has employed additional powers since he declared the state's coronavirus peacetime state of emergency in March 2020.

"The COVID-19 peacetime emergency allowed us to respond quickly and effectively to the pandemic this past year," Walz said in a news release.

"We built testing sites from the ground up, we secured emergency personal protective equipment to protect our healthcare workers on the frontlines, and we developed a nation-leading vaccination program to get life-saving shots into the arms of Minnesotans."

Minnesota Republicans have consistently criticized Walz over his use and extension of the emergency powers. In November, the state Republican Party jokingly referred to the governor as "Supreme Leader Walz," claiming he was abusing his authority.

Walz said the emergency powers gave the state the flexibility it needed to respond to the pandemic and subsequent economic crisis.

The peacetime emergency "made Minnesotans eligible for federal hunger-relief funding for 15 months," Walz said.