Proposed recall petition filed against Governor Walz
Governor Tim Walz gives an update on COVID-19 in Minnesota on April 23, 2020. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Conservative activists have filed a proposed recall petition against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accusing him of malfeasance in office over his handling of the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposed petition was filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office on Thursday. It wasn't made available publicly until it went into the state Supreme Court's online system over the weekend.
The activists accuse Walz of malfeasance over his "propensity to assume authorities not granted by the Legislature" and say his executive orders have deprived them of their constitutional rights.
In Minnesota, there's a very high bar for recalls, and no Minnesota governor has ever been subject to a recall election. The public official needs to have committed "serious malfeasance or nonfeasance." Malfeasance is the intentional commission of an unlawful or wrongful act, while nonfeasance is the failure to perform an act as required by law.
The state Supreme Court must decide whether there's enough to order a recall petition against Walz. No hearing date has been set.