At Issue: May 9 — Walz announces reopening plan as vaccine holdouts remain hesitant

Restrictions put in place during the coronavirus pandemic are being eased, as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced a plan this week that would go as far as removing the state’s mask mandate while encouraging Minnesotans to get vaccinated.

But still, some Minnesotans say they won’t get vaccinated. An exclusive KSTP/SurveyUSA poll of 750 people shows that about half (333 people) aren’t yet vaccinated. Of those, only 14% who identify as Republicans say they plan to get a shot. Our poll shows that 38% of those Republicans are concerned about the safety of the vaccine, another 28% say the virus isn’t dangerous enough, another 18% are worried about side effects and 6% say they already had COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there’s a battle brewing over masking requirements and social distancing inside the Minnesota Senate chamber. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, is easing all restrictions inside the Senate, but Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, is pushing back. She and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, join us for a look at that issue and the budget negotiations happening at the Capitol.