Gov. Walz calls Minnesota lawmakers back for 5th special session

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday he will convene another special session of the Minnesota Legislature Monday, the fifth one of the year. 

Walz also declared his intention to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency for another 30 days. The governor is required to call lawmakers back every time he extends his emergency powers, which gives him the authorities to carry out executive orders related to the pandemic, such as closing businesses. 

“The COVID-19 virus is unpredictable, and as we have seen over the past few weeks, it continues to devastate our communities,” Walz said in a statement. “It’s imperative that we have the tools necessary to respond to this public health emergency and protect the health and wellbeing of each and every Minnesotan. This emergency is not over.”

Walz first declared the peacetime emergency in March as the pandemic began to ramp up in the United States and has extended it every 30 days ever since.