West Twin Cities

The resolution to end Gov. Tim Walz's emergency powers passed 36 to 31 by the Minnesota Senate, with Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chanhassen) voting in favor of ending the emergency powers. 

“We were told there were two goal posts, depress the peak and delay the surge. We never intended to authorize dictatorial powers until a vaccine might emerge - if it ever does," he said in a press release from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus. "We never intended to exclude Minnesotans from playing their role to help all of us get through this. And we never intended to quarantine the well; to take those who are flourishing in health and say, ‘You are going to be stymied. Your business may go bankrupt, your savings may be depleted. You may be desperate to figure out how you’re going to care for your family.’ But here we are."

Senate Republicans wanted to make putting an end to the emergency powers a priority and they did just that after voting in favor of ending the powers for a third time. 

“We have seen an emergence of dictatorial powers coming from the governor’s office and his staff. His staff doesn’t have election certificates. We do. As such, Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate are hearing from their constituents that we are elected to lead and Minnesotans expect us to do so," Jensen said in the press release.