REGISTERED FOR AN APPOINTMENT
AND WERE INELIGIBLE.
VAK CONVENE IS GOING SLOWLY
HERE.
488,000 ADMINISTERED VACCINES
AND 831,000 DISTRIBUTED TO
MINNESOTA.
THAT'S ABOUT 59%.
CASES HERE ARE SHOWING A STRONG
DROP OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES IS DOWN
34% IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
DEATHS DOWN 45%.
HOSPITALIZATIONS DOWN 26 %.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT
THIS AND OTHER ISSUES, GOVERNOR
TIM WALZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
Reporter: LET ME ASK YOU OFF
THE BAT, DR. OSTERHOLM WAS ON
TIME TO CALL AN AUDIBLE.
EVERYONE, ALL GOVERNMENT
ENTITIES, SHOULD BE RELEASING
THE SECOND SHOTS TO AS MANY
PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
.
WELL, I CERTAIN RESPECT HIM.
HE'S CLOSELY WORKED WITH US AND
STEPPED UP THE TESTING PROGRAM.
THE CDC IS ASKING AND THE
MANUFACTURERS ARE STILL SAYING
THAT'S THE REASON FOR MINNESOTA
IS TOP TEN IS GETTING SECOND
DOSES OUT.
WE'RE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THE
ROLLOUT CONTINUES TO GO ON.
THE WAY WE'RE READING IT AND THE
WAY THE GUIDANCE IS COMING DOWN.
WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS WE'RE NINE
DAYS IN TO WHERE THE HEALTH CARE
THERE'S A DEBATE GOING ON AROUND
THAT.
THE BIGGEST THING TO UNDERSTAND
IS HAVING A NATIONAL STRATEGY
MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE
WORLD.
WE'RE UP 16% NOW ON DOSES WE'LL
GET IN THE NEXT WEEK.
HERE IN
MINNESOTA, I THINK THAT WORKING
TOWARD FULL VACCINE, THE TWO
DOSES, IS STILL OUR GOAL.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE KNOW FOR
CERTAIN AND THE MANUFACTURERS
TELL US AND THE RESEARCH SHOWS
THAT THOSE FOLKS HAVE IMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR.
CASES DOWN AS YOU SAW IN THE
NUMBERS.
YOU GOT GOOD NEWS TODAY.
DOWN EVEN FURTHER.
AND THE NUMBER OF
VACCINATED ARE HIGH YESTERDAY.
WE'RE UP TO 530,000.
THE NUMBERS OF CASE POSITIVITY,
3.3.
AND WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE
MINNESOTANS TO THINK ABOUT IS
MASKING, SOCIAL DISTANCING,
WE CAUGHT THE BRAZILIAN VARIANT
VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE WE TESTED
AND WE CAN CONTAIN IT.
AND IRNG A COMBINATION OF LOW
FOLKS TESTING, FOLKS COMPLYING
WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASK
MANDATES, AND A VACCINE PROGRAM,
MINNESOTA IS PRETTY WELL
POSITIONED.
ACTUALLY IN THE TOP EIGHT,
ACCORDING TO TO ONE IN TERMS OF
THE POSITIVE ACTIVITY RATE.
AND MAYBE BETTER THAN THAT.
PROBABLY TODAY.
YEAH.
WE'RE ONE OF THE BEST.
THAT PREVENTS FOLKS HAVE GETTING
IT.
AND WE DON'T KNOW THE LONG-TERM
DAMAGE OF BY GETTING COVID AND
RECOVERING.
KEEPING THE NUMBERS LOW IN THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO GET IT,
THAT'S THE WAY TO BEAT IN.
I CAN HEAR THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERS SAYING, WELL, IF THINGS
ARE THAT GOOD, IT'S TIME TO OPEN
THINGS UP.
I KIND OF FEEL THAT YOU'RE
PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF
THE SOLUTION.
IT'S FRUSTRATED THAT FOLKS
DENIED COVID, ENCOURAGED PEOPLE
TO GATHER WITHOUT MASKS.
THE REPUBLICAN TO HELP US WITH.
WE HAD A HEARING ON VOTER FRAUD
AND THE PRESIDENT'S ELECTION.
I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.
WE NEED
BUT I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
STATES, MOST OF MINNESOTA'S
BUSINESSES ARE IN THE TOP HALF
OF THINGS THAT ARE OPEN.
THE BUSINESSES ARE OPEN, BUT
IS IT TIME TO RELINK WISH THE
EMERGENCY POWERS?
I SENT OVER A LIST TO DO
THAT.
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE TO HELP ME.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO ORDER
SUPPLIES?
WHAT ABOUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE
STATE EMPLOYEES THAT I NEED TO
USE THAT FOR?
AND THINGS LIKE WHAT WILL HAPPEN
MORATORIUMS.
I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER.
I'M VERY FRUSTRATED.
IT'S EASY TO SIT IN THE CORNER
AND POINT FINGERS.
AND THINGS WILL GO WRONG.
MORNING, THE POWER WENT OUT IN
DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL.
I HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOSES.
WE HAD BACKUP GENERATORS.
.
AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM?
NO PROBLEM.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
AND YOU SAW YESTERDAY, IT'S
UNACCEPTABLE WHEN YOU SEE THINGS
HAPPEN.
WE USE VENDORS.
THE STATE GOVERNMENT ISN'T BIG
AND IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME THAT
I'VE ASKED FOR THINGS.
EVERY OTHER GOVERNOR USING THE
SAME POWERS.
I WOULD ASK MY REPUBLICAN
FRIENDS TO HELP US.
YOU CAME OUT WITH A $52.4
BILLION BUDGET PROPOSAL.
CAN YOU REALLY PUT TOGETHER A
KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET FORECAST IS
GOING TO BE IN FEBRUARY?
AND YOU ALSO DON'T KNOW, NOBODY
KNOWS, WHAT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BE DOING
IN TERMS OF THE STIMULUS?
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE
LATE OCTOBER.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
THE MINNESOTA LAW PROBABLY
SHOULD BE CHANGED.
WE GET THE NUMBERS COMING IN
FEBRUARY.
WE'LL REDO THE BUDGET A LITTLE
BIT.
BUT THE NUMBERS ARE POINTING
THAT WAY.
THE ECONOMY WAS STRONG.
THE BUDGET RESERVES WERE STRONG.
FISCAL POLICIES IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS FOCUSED ON COVID HIT THE
COUNTRY AND THE WORLD HARD, BUT
IT HIT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HARD,
STUDENTS, WORKING FOLKS, AND
BUSINESSES.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT
RAISING TAXES ON THE MILLION
DOLLAR OWNERS.
ESTATE TAX, CORPORATE TAX RATE,
AND THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX.
THAT'S REALLY NOT HITTING PEOPLE
WHO ARE SUPER RICH, IT'S HITTING
PEOPLE DOING WELL.
WELL, IT'S A PRETTY HIGH
AMOUNT.
EVEN SENATOR RESTEN OF THE
TAX COMMITTEE EXPRESSED
CONCERNS.
SHE'S A DEMOCRAT.
.
CERTAINLY.
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES FOR THE
STATE TO RECOVER, A FAIRNESS TO
GET THE STUDENTS CAUGHT UP.
INFLATION STANDARDS.
BUT IT IS A FACT THAT FOLKS AT
THE TOP END OF THE SCALE DID
WELL IN 2020.
AND MOST OF THE FOLKS ARE ASKING
TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT IS ATTRACTIVE TO A
LOT OF PARENTS.
ESSENTIALLY A FREE SUMMER SCHOOL
FOR KIDS FOUR AND UP.
YOU NEED TO GET THAT DONE NOW.
YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE END OF
MAY.
WE NEED TO LET PARENTS KNOW
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING
THE TEACHERS AND PARENTS WORK
HARD.
I'M WITHIN ONE OF THEM.
I HAVE AN 8th GRADER.
WE CAN PUT THE INVESTMENTS IN
TYPE OF SCHOOL SYSTEM WE WANT TO
SEE.
NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THAT.
I AM ASKING TO INVEST IN THE
SCHOOLS.
WHAT WAS NOT HELPFUL IS
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE BLAMED
IT ON TEACHERS, THE REASON
THEY'RE NOT IN SCHOOL.
I NEED FOLKS TO RECOGNIZE, WE'RE
GOING TO LOSE ANOTHER 100,000
AMERICANS BY MAY TO COVID.
IT'S RAGING.
I NEED PARTNERS THAT UNDERSTAND
COVID KEPT KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL.
AND OUT OF RESTAURANTS.
WE CAN DO THINGS IN GOVERNMENT
THAT BRING THAT BACK UP.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE KIDS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL
OF THIS.
AND YOU NEED THE $4.2 MILLION
FOR PUBLIC SECURITY IN THE WAKE
OF THE DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL
ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGE FLOYD.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN MARCH
8th.
IT MAY GET PUSHED BACK.
AND THERE'S A TIGHT CONVERSATION
PAY AND WHO SHOULDN'T PAY FOR
DAMAGES IN SOME OF THE CIVIL
UNREST.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT?
MINNESOTANS ARE IN THIS
TOGETHER.
THAT'S NOT WHAT REPUBLICANS
THEY DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE
CIVIL UNREST.
WHEN THERE'S A FLOOD OR A
HOSTAGE SITUATION, WE HELP DO
THIS.
THIS WAS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE MURDER
OF GEORGE FLOYD.
IT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO MOVE PAST
THE CIVIL DISO BEAD EYE WITNESS.
THIS IS AN ISSUE AROUND SYSTEMIC
RACISM.
IT TAKES RESOURCES.
AND THE QUESTION YOU HEAR IS THE
STATE SHOULD CUT.
WHICH STAT PATROL SHOULD I CUT?
WHICH EPIDEMIOLOGISTS?
WE KNOW THE TRIAL WILL BRING OUT
PASSIONS AND BE A MAGNET FOR
PEOPLE TO TRY TO COME TO
MINNEAPOLIS REGARDLESS OF THE
OUTCOME OF JUSTICE.
AND I'M JUST ASKING FOLKS
TO HELP MAKE SURE WE'RE READY
FOR THAT.
AGAIN, WHEN THEY HELD A RARELY
ON JANUARY 6th IN DC AND
ST. PAUL, IT COST A LOT OF MONEY
TO PUT THE NATIONAL GUARD AND
STATE PATROL THERE.
ALL MINNESOTANS ARE PAYING FOR
THAT.
NOT JUST THE REPUBLICAN
WE'RE ALL IN THE SAFETY BUSINESS
TOGETHER.
AND REALLY QUICKLY, I HAVE
HEARD YOU SAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE
WHAT I'M DOING, VOTE AGAINST ME
IN TWO YEAR.
DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE RUNNING
FOR RE-ELECTION?
MY JOB IS TO GET MINNESOTANS
OUT OF THIS.
I USE THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
MASKING OR WHATEVER.
USE THE MASK TO STAY ALIVE.
THESE ARE HARD DECISIONS.
THEY'RE NOT ALL GOING TO BE
PERFECT.
MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE
MINNESOTANS GET OUT OF THIS.
AND I HOPE, AND I KNOW THIS IS
HARD TO GET AWAY FROM,
EVERYTHING BEING HIGHLY
POLITICIZED.
IF THERE'S THINGS WE'RE DOING
WRONG, HELP US.
I DON'T NEED THE SNIPING IT'S
NOT WORKING AND YOUR MEMBERS ARE
GATHERING UNMASKED.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT I THINK
EVERYONE WANTS US TO DO.
JOIN NATIONALLY, BECOME UNIFIED
AROUND THIS, BEAT COVID, AND
MOVE ON.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR COMING IN.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING.
THANKS.
KNOW WE INVITED THE SENATE
MAJORITY LEADER ON THE SHOW AND
EXPECT HIM SOON.
AND WE DODGED THE BIG STORM.