Walz sets Monday special session to pass budget

Gov. Tim Walz has officially called a special session of the Minnesota Legislature to complete the state’s two-year budget.

The special session will begin on Monday. Also on Monday, Walz will extend Minnesota’s peacetime emergency for another 30 days.

Walz said the peacetime emergency allows the state to maintain COVID-19 vaccination sites while continuing the eviction moratorium and federal hunger-relief funding.

"Minnesota is in a good place in our effort to end this pandemic," Walz said. "That is why we have begun to wind down our statewide response. We look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure that we can continue to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy, and pass a budget that supports Minnesota’s recovery."

The governor is calling on lawmakers to not only reach a budget agreement but to also find common ground on police accountability measures and agree to an off-ramp for the eviction moratorium that provides stability in the housing market while supporting renters and landlords.