SAINT PAUL, MN – Ahead of an expected announcement this week by Governor Walz loosening Minnesota's COVID restrictions, Rep. Brian Pfarr, R-Le Sueur, is calling for transparent and concrete dates and/or metrics for the end of the peacetime emergency. Just this week, Florida lifted all remaining COVID restrictions, and Governors of Democrat states like New York and California have established target dates for the lifting of capacity limits and other COVID restrictions. Other deep-blue states like Connecticut lifted capacity limits starting as far back as March.
“Minnesotans have been left in the dark for too long. It is time to give them an end date for COVID restrictions and Gov. Walz’s emergency powers,” said Pfarr. “Over the past year, the Governor has touted the need to follow the science in decision making. If the science shows that it is safe to allow thousands of spectators into sporting events, and have a ‘pretty close to normal’ state fair, then that data is telling us that there is no longer a need for capacity restrictions and emergency powers. It is time for Gov. Walz to join New York, California, and other Democrat states and bring this pandemic to its rightful conclusion.”
Rep. Pfarr and House Republicans have voted more than a dozen times to end the peacetime emergency, and have put forward numerous proposals to end or modify the Governor's Chapter 12 powers, as well as proposals to establish timelines and metrics that would end the peacetime emergency. Democrats have refused to advance those proposals in the House, and have even stonewalled proposals from their own party to wind down the Governor's emergency powers.