This morning (1130am) at the State Capitol, Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison make what officials term a major announcement on vaping in Minnesota. In October, the governor called on the legislature to ban flavored tobacco products, including menthol, and chided the tobacco industry saying, “Sour Patch Kids flavors is aimed at children, so just quit pretending like there’s a free enterprise component of this.”
Walz said at that time that he lacks executive authority to crack down on sales of vaping products, as was done earlier this fall in Massachusetts. Officials aren’t previewing specifics of this morning’s announcement, but Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s participation fuels speculation that the state might take legal action against the manufacturers of vaping products.