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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Spencer Igo (R)

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RELEASE: Rep. Spencer Igo Calls on Walz to Set Clear End-Date for Emergency Powers

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

ST. PAUL, MN — Ahead of an expected announcement this week by Governor Walz loosening Minnesota's COVID restrictions, Representative Spencer Igo, R-Grand Rapids, 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.

“We are well on our way to defeating this virus as infection rates drop and vaccines become widely available,” said Rep. Igo. “It’s clear that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over and it is past time for Governor Walz to give up his emergency powers and work with the legislature to bring our best days to reality. Spring is here, summer is right around the corner, let’s open up and let people make decisions for themselves and their families.”

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.

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