Tag: Gov. Walz

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 19, 2020

W

June 19, 2020

Updates from the Governor

Governor Walz today issued a proclamation to officially recognize June 19, 2020 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the State of Minnesota to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Governor Walz is also calling on the legislature to work with community to establish a state holiday recognizing Juneteenth.

“Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day, celebrating freedom and justice and emphasizing education, achievement, and tolerance,” reads Governor Walz’s proclamation. “We must do everything in our power to come together to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in our state so that every person in Minnesota – Black, Indigenous, Brown, and White – can be safe and thrive.”

“It took more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed for news of freedom to reach enslaved African-Americans in Texas,” said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Juneteenth is both a celebration and a reminder that justice does not come in one action nor is it quick. It is the work we must never stop doing.” Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 19, 2020”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: June 18, 2020

W

June 18, 2020

Updates from the Governor
Today, the Governor and Lt. Governor were joined by public safety officials and legislative leaders in pushing for police accountability and reform in advance of a debate on the House floor today. Last year, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Harrington and Attorney General Ellison convened a Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters Working Group. After months of deliberation, they came forward with common sense, comprehensive proposals on police reform. Those months of hard conversations and research informed many of the bills that legislators are proposing today.

The People of Color and Indigenous Caucus has compiled many of those recommendations into a comprehensive package of proposals. The House has held numerous committee hearings, beginning with a 7-hour Public Safety hearing last Saturday. They are doing the work the community has asked for. And today, they are advancing these proposals in the House.

The Governor also ordered flags to fly at half staff on Friday, June 19. He has directed flags to fly at half staff on the 19th of each month through 2020 to honor, mourn and remember the victims of COVID-19 and their families.

The Department of Health (MDH) has developed guidance that can give long-term care residents and their families connection with their loved ones once again. MDH released guidance for window visits earlier this week. The guidance is effective immediately, and they strongly encourage long-term care facilities to implement it. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: June 18, 2020”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 17, 2020

W

June 17, 2020

Updates from the Governor

The Governor and Lt. Governor continue to work with the legislature to enact police reform and accountability and build a stronger and more equitable economy. The members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus have put together a strong package of reforms that will support meaningful police reform, including use of force reform, funding for alternatives to policing, and greater police oversight. The Governor and Lt. Governor are also advocating for a strong Local Jobs and Projects bill to create jobs across the state and revitalize infrastructure in communities in every corner of our state.

Also today, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced a partnership with Coursera, the leading online learning platform that offers courses from 200 top universities and businesses around the world, to create accounts for Minnesotans and provide immediate access to online courses. Minnesotans will have access to 3,800 courses that cover job-relevant skills in business, technology, and data science as well as courses related to professional and personal development. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 17, 2020”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 16, 2020

W

June 16, 2020

Updates from the Governor

The Governor and Lt. Governor today highlighted their Local Jobs and Projects Plan to jumpstart Minnesota’s economy and complete critical infrastructure projects across the state.

They were joined by Red Wing Mayor Sean Dowse, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura and members of the building and construction trades to discuss their plan to create immediate, high-quality, and good-paying jobs so Minnesotans can get back to work, and revitalize our housing, water, higher education, and public safety infrastructure across the state so it can serve Minnesotans for generations to come. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 16, 2020”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 15, 2020

W

June 15, 2020

Updates from the Governor

Governor Walz traveled to Duluth today to visit the Clayton-Jackson-McGhie memorial on the 100thanniversary of their deaths. On June 15, 1920, Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie, three Black men, were wrongfully accused of a crime, violently removed from the Duluth city jail by an estimated mob of 10,000, and brutally hanged from a lamp post on a city street.

The Governor formally recognized their deaths with a proclamation today to commemorate the tragic and often untold chapter in our state’s history. On Friday, the Governor issued the state’s first posthumous pardon to Max Mason, who was wrongfully convicted and used as a scapegoat for the lynching. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 15, 2020”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 14, 2020

W

June 14, 2020

Updates from the Governor

Below is a list of resources available to help Minnesotans through the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. Governor Walz and Minnesota’s Department of Health continue to encourage Minnesotans who have participated in large gatherings to get a test for the virus.

Testing: Minnesotans with COVID-19 symptoms are always encouraged to get a test. Locations in your community can be found here. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 14, 2020”

COVID-19: Keeping Minnesotans Safe

From the June 12, 2020 DFL Dispatch:

Following the advice of public health experts, senior advocates, labor leaders, doctors, hospital associations, and long-term care providers, Governor Tim Walz today signed Executive Order 20-75, extending the COVID-19 peacetime emergency that gives the state flexibility in responding to the ever-changing and diverse needs of Minnesotans during the evolving pandemic.

The peacetime emergency continues to allow the state to take swift action as necessary to protect the health and well-being of our communities, businesses, and families. From protections against evictions and wage garnishment to providing expedited procurement power for PPE and protections for workers from unsafe conditions – the peacetime emergency allows the State to open our toolbox to ensure critical relief and resources for all Minnesotans during this ongoing pandemic. Continue reading “COVID-19: Keeping Minnesotans Safe”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 13, 2020

W

June 13, 2020

Updates from the Governor

The Governor and Lt. Governor continue to lead Minnesota through the COVID-19 pandemic and long-overdue police reform and accountability by listening to public health experts, community leaders, and impacted Minnesotans. Below is a summary of their actions this week.

Week in Review

On Monday, June 8 the Department of Health (MDH) released guidance to help Minnesotans safely get back to the sports they love. Different risk levels mean different precautions. See guidance for youth and adult sports, including the full list of sports at Stay Safe Guidance for Organized Sports. MDH also announced Minnesota was averaging over 11,000 tests per day, and continued to encourage Minnesotans who had been in large groups to get a test. Find a provider near you. The Governor also visited St. Paul businesses impacted by recent unrest in the Twin Cities to survey damage and to listen to their goals moving forward. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 13, 2020”

Police reform shadows Minnesota Legislature’s special session

Lawmakers gather in St. Paul amid rising calls for reform after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz laid out a wide-ranging overhaul of law enforcement Thursday as lawmakers return to the State Capitol for a special session shadowed by the memory of George Floyd, a black man who died in the hands of Minneapolis police.

Walz, accompanied by DFL leaders, challenged the Legislature to meet calls for action sparked by his death and the protests in Minnesota and across the nation. The DFL plan would reform use-of-force standards, increase oversight of police discipline and encourage community-based alternatives to traditional law enforcement.

But addressing racial inequities in policing will be only a part of the complex and fast-paced work of the Legislature that convenes Friday, as lawmakers forge ahead on a list of unfinished business left behind when they wrapped up the regular session in May. Continue reading.

Gov. Tim Walz says he understands why Christopher Columbus statue was toppled, but there will be consequences

Governor says he doesn’t condone the behavior.

Gov. Tim Walz said Thursday that he doesn’t condone protesters who tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus at the Minnesota Capitol, but that he understands why they did it.

“I won’t condone the behavior. There will be consequences for it,” Walz said at a news conference Thursday. But he also said the frustration of the American Indian Movement protesters who pulled down the statue were acting on legitimate frustration with Columbus’ legacy.

Walz’s remarks came after criticism from Republican legislative leaders of his administration’s muted response to the statue’s toppling. Continue reading.