Tag: Tim Walz

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 7, 2021

Governor Walz Announces Timeline to End COVID-19 Restrictions

Capacity restrictions to end on May 28, masking requirement to end by July 1

Safely Ending COVID-19 Restrictions


On Thursday, Governor Walz announced a three-step timeline to end nearly all COVID-19 restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide masking requirement once 70% of Minnesotans age 16 years and older get their vaccine, or by July 1. The announcement comes as more than 2.6 million Minnesotans have gotten their shot and the state is on track to vaccinate 70 percent of Minnesotans by the end of June.

Since mid-April, COVID-19 cases have declined. Hospitals are seeing fewer admissions and vaccination progress has relentlessly pushed forward. Vaccines held COVID-19 variants at bay and avoided having them overwhelm our state. Minnesotans can visit VaccineConnector.mn.gov to make a vaccine appointment at a Community Vaccination Program site, or use the Find Vaccine Locations map to locate a provider near them.

2 Million Minnesotans Have Received Complete Vaccine Series

2 Million Minnesotans Fully Vaccinated


This week, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced that 2 million Minnesotans have completed the vaccination process. While it took the state 15 weeks to complete the first million vaccine series, it took just five weeks to complete the second million vaccine series.

“Minnesotans have done an extraordinary job doing their part to end this pandemic,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I am grateful for everyone who has gotten us to this milestone today — from the providers distributing vaccines, to the Minnesotans rolling up their sleeves, to the organizers on the ground making sure no community is left behind, to the friends and neighbors helping their loved ones get these life-saving shots. This has been a true team effort and I know we can get to the finish line together.”

State Launches Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccinations at State Vaccine Sites

Starting today, walk-in availability makes it easy, convenient for Minnesotans to roll up their sleeves

Roll Up Your Sleeves MN Image

On Friday, Governor Walz announced that eligible Minnesotans can walk in for a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment at the state’s Community Vaccination Program locations effective today, Friday, May 7. As Minnesotans under 18 must receive consent from a parent or guardian, the state encourages parents, guardians, and families to walk in and get vaccinated together. 

Walk-ins for Minnesotans 16+ are now accepted at state community vaccination sites in Bloomington (Mall of America), Saint Paul (Roy Wilkins Auditorium), Lino Lakes and Oakdale. Walk-ins for Minnesotans 18+ are now accepted at Mankato, Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud.

Governor Walz Calls on Senate to Pass Summer Learning Package in Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget

Gov. Walz Bumps Elbows with School Children


On Tuesday, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan called on the Minnesota Senate to quickly pass the summer learning package in Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget to ensure schools have the support they need to help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Passed by the Minnesota House in March, the $150 million plan addresses opportunity gaps and expands summer learning opportunities.

Helping students recover and catch up on learning has been one of the Governor’s budget priorities from the beginning of the legislative session. In January, Governor Walz announced Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget – his budget proposal for the next biennium. As Minnesota continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Walz’s budget supports working families, ensures students catch up on learning, and helps small businesses stay afloat while driving economic recovery.

Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Honors the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives

Lt. Gov. Flanagan spoke at the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Event


On Wednesday, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives , Lieutenant Governor Flanagan joined State Legislators and community leadership to push for a new Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Office dedicated to preventing and ending the targeting of Indigenous women and children.  

“A powerful way we can both honor those we’ve lost and protect our Native women and girls into the future, is to create and fully fund the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Office in the Department of Public Safety,” said  Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I believe we can work together with Minnesota Legislature to get this done.”

MN In the News

Minnesota’s COVID restrictions to end May 28, mask mandate July 1

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Though vaccine uptake is slowing, Walz said that amount of progress requires only another 473,000 eligible people 16 or older to get their first shots. 

An indoor mask-wearing mandate will end no later than July 1 and COVID-19 restrictions on business and social gatherings will end May 28 under a plan that Gov. Tim Walz hailed Thursday as a path to a “great summer” for Minnesota.

The rollback of COVID-19 restrictions will start at noon Friday with an elimination of capacity caps for outdoor entertainment venues such as Target Field, an expansion of caps for indoor venues, and an end to early bar and restaurant closing times. All caps will be eliminated May 28 ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The mandate requiring masks in indoor public spaces could be lifted before July 1 if the state can increase the rate of Minnesotans who have received COVID-19 vaccine from 59% to 70%. Though vaccine uptake is slowing, Walz said that amount of progress requires only another 473,000 eligible people 16 or older to get their first shots. Continue reading.

Speaker Hortman and Majority Leader Winkler on Governor Walz’s timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on Governor Walz’s timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions:

“Minnesotans have done a great job rolling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated, and that has gotten us close to the end of this pandemic,” said Speaker Hortman. “It’s my hope that Minnesotans continue getting vaccinated so that we can stay ahead of any variants, get our state fully opened, and get back to the things we have missed since COVID-19 started.”

“With new leadership in the White House and Minnesota’s robust public health infrastructure leading the nation in vaccine distribution, the end of this pandemic is near,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “From the start, Republican politicians told Americans COVID-19 was ‘just the flu’ and Donald Trump told us it would go away ‘like a miracle.’ Democrats are defeating COVID because we have taken a public health approach informed by scientists, not armchair epidemiologists.”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 1, 2021

Governor Walz Joins Bipartisan Leaders in Minnesota Legislature to Call for Action on Police Reform

On Thursday, Governor Walz joined bipartisan leaders in the Minnesota Legislature to call for action among Minnesota Senate Republicans on police reform, following the passage of meaningful police reform legislation in the Minnesota House.

“The accountability we saw last week for George Floyd is the floor – not the ceiling – of what we need to do in Minnesota to advance police reform. True justice comes through real, systemic change to prevent this from happening again,” said Governor Walz. “I applaud the effort in the Minnesota House to advance meaningful legislation that would make Minnesota a leader in effective and fair law enforcement policies, practices, and behaviors. I urge the Republicans in the Minnesota Senate to listen to Minnesotans and take action.”

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 1, 2021”

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 23, 2021


This week, the entire world watched as Minnesota awaited the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, while mourning the death of Daunte Wright at the hands of law enforcement.

While the trial of Derek Chauvin ended in justice for George Floyd in the courtroom, we know that full justice won’t be achieved until all Minnesotans feel safe and the relationship between law enforcement and our communities heals.

The Governor will continue to work to pass police reform legislation in our state.

Continue reading “Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 23, 2021”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 16, 2021

A Message on Daunte Wright 

The Governor and First Lady are praying for Daunte Wright’s family and loved ones as Minnesota mourns another life of a Black man taken by law enforcement. The death of Daunte Wright is a tragedy. He was a young man, a father, a friend, and a son. We must take meaningful action to fight systemic injustice, pursue bold police accountability reforms, and make lasting change.

In these challenging times, the Governor’s duty is to preserve the First Amendment right of peaceful protests while protecting public safety. We must ensure communities have the space they deserve to grieve and call for change.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 16, 2021”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 9, 2021

Governor Walz Launches Industry-Focused COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Campaign

Campaign kicks off with food service industry workers

Gov. Walz at COVID Vaccination Center

As a part of the broader statewide ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves, MN’ campaign to make sure all Minnesotans have access to the COVID-19 vaccine,  Governor Walz launched an outreach effort focused on connecting workers in critical industries to the resources they need to get vaccinated. In the coming weeks, workers in priority frontline sectors will be vaccinated at community vaccination sites.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 9, 2021”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 2, 2021

On First Day All Minnesotans are Eligible, Governors Walz and Pawlenty Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

Gov. Walz and Pawlenty Being Immunized


On Tuesday Governor Walz received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine alongside former Republican governor Tim Pawlenty and former Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson at the Vikings’ Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in Eagan.

“I was excited to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine today, alongside my friend and former Republican governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty,” said Governor Walz. “It doesn’t matter where you live or who you vote for, we can all agree we need to end this pandemic. The vaccines are how we get there. So roll up your sleeves, Minnesota, the end is in sight.”

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: April 2, 2021”

Walz tells Legislature he could go it alone on spending billions in stimulus money

Under a provision in state law, the governor will get to decide how to spend the state’s federal stimulus funds — unless the House and Senate can agree to spend some of the money in a budget emerging from the 2021 session, and provided Walz agrees to sign such a budget.

Gov. Tim Walz has told the state Legislature that he could decide on his own how to spend the billions of federal dollars heading to Minnesota from the American Rescue Plan.

In a Friday letter [PDF] to the state’s legislative leaders, Walz triggered a section of state law that requires him to give members of an advisory committee of lawmakers, the Legislative Advisory Commission, an opportunity to hold up expenditures of that money. 

But because those holds expire when the regular session of the Legislature adjourns on May 17, the governor will get to decide how to spend the money — unless the House and Senate can agree to spend some of the funds in whatever budget compromise emerges from the 2021 session, and provided Walz agrees to sign such a budget. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: March 19, 2021

Governor Walz Announces More Than 2 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered

First million doses took more than two months to administer, second million doses took less than one month to administer

2 Million COVID Doses


On Thursday, Governor Walz announced that Minnesota has administered more than two million COVID-19 vaccine doses. While it took more than two months for the state to administer the first million doses, it took less than one month to administer the second million doses. Minnesota has been able to increase vaccination rates as supply has increased from the federal government and Governor Walz continues to expand capacity in the state’s vaccine distribution network.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: March 19, 2021”