GOP Makes Fresh Push to End Minnesota's Emergency Powers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Republican legislative leaders are making a fresh push for ending Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s reliance on emergency powers to manage the pandemic.

They're touting a bill they say would preserve Walz’s ability to procure and distribute vaccines, and to obtain federal aid, while restoring the normal balance of power between the governor and Legislature.

But a Walz spokesman says the plan has serious holes. He says it would slow down vaccination, jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in federal hunger relief, and end the eviction moratorium overnight.

Meanwhile, state health officials are reporting continued progress on vaccinations and other key metrics.