Walz signs executive order extending peacetime emergency aimed at pandemic
Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a news conference at the Department of Public Safety in St. Paul, Minn. on Saturday, May 23, 2020.[Evan Frost /Minnesota Public Radio via AP]
Friday, Gov. Walz extended the peacetime emergency that has been put in place to allow the state to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The peacetime emergency, which was declared in March, has been extended through Oct. 12, unless it is rescinded or terminated by a majority vote of each house of the Legislature.
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This marks the fourth time that Walz has extended the peacetime emergency.
According to a release from the governor’s office, the peacetime emergency stops evictions and wage garnishments, provides procedures to procure personal protective equipment, and allows the state to reopen strategically.
"My top priority remains the health and safety of Minnesotans," Walz said. "The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and the next stages of this virus continue to threaten our state. Today we extend our peacetime emergency, giving Minnesota the tools to quickly respond to this rapidly-evolving virus as we approach the fall and winter."
To read the full executive order extending the peacetime emergency, click here.