Rumors are flying around the State Capitol that Governor Tim Walz might try a political manuever to avoid calling the legislature back into special session every 30 days. The governor has called special sessions each time he extended his COVID emergency powers, but speculation is now circulating that state law is unclear whether he must do that. Senate Republicans are hinting they could remove more of Walz’s cabinet members unless he relinquishes his emergency powers — but they can’t do that if they’re not in session. We asked Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, could Walz *not* calling lawmakers back to Saint Paul trigger a court case? Gazelka says, “We are aware of things that he may do, and then that may trigger something else that we would need to do, but my hope is that we start a dialog of working together.”
A bonding bill for state public works projects is also deadlocked by a dispute over the governor’s emergency powers.