IN
IN THE
IN THE STATE SENATE AND HOUSE TODAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THE GOVERNOR'S AUTHORITY DURING
THE PANDEMIC
THE PANDEMIC >>
>>
>> >>
>> >> MARCH 13TH, THE GOVERNOR WAS
DECLARED A PEACETIME EMERGENCY
FOR MINNESOTA. BACK THEN, THERE
WERE 14 CASES OF COVID-19 IN THE
STATE . TODAY WE'VE REACHED MORE
IN FOUR HUNDRED AND 13000,
ROUGHLY EIGHT % OF MINNESOTA'S
POPULATION. IN THAT TIME,
THE GOVERNOR WITH THE POWER
OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION BEHIND
HIM HAS ISSUED 104 EXECUTIVE
ORDERS AFFECTING EVERYTHING FROM
SCHOOLS TO RESTAURANTS AND BARS
TO CHURCHES TO BASICALLY EVERY
FACET OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
THE QUESTION IS, IN A DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC, HOW LONG SHOULD
A SECURITY EXIST? I DON'T THINK
>> OUR FOUNDING FATHERS EVER
DREAMED THAT WE WOULD BE IN THIS
KIND OF SITUATION. REALLY,
IT'S MORE LIKE A MONARCHY OR IT
MAKES ALL THE DECISIONS BECAUSE
OF THAT. I DON'T THINK HE'S MADE
EVERY DECISION AS GOOD AS WHAT
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH TRULY HAD
A VOICE AT THE TABLE
>>. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER PAUL
GAZELKA AND REPUBLICANS IN THE
SENATE HAVE VOTED TO END
THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY
AUTHORITY IN EVERY SPECIAL
SESSION SINCE MAY. BUT WITHOUT
THE HOUSE VOTING, THE SAME WAY
DOESN'T MATTER. DO YOU THINK
THE CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE
CHANGED SO THAT IT DOESN'T
REQUIRE BOTH CHAMBERS TO STOP
THESE EMERGENCY? I DO THINK
FOR THE FUTURE THAT IT IS MY
HOPE THAT WE CHANGE IT, THAT IT
REQUIRES BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE TO CONTINUE THE EMERGENCY
POWERS AND THAT WOULD BE,
I THINK
I THINK
I THINK >>, FAIR. ALTHOUGH SENATOR
GAZELKA AND I HAVE GOTTEN TO GET
A LOT OF THINGS DONE TOGETHER
WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR AND
COMPROMISING IT IS NOT A FAST
WAY TO GET THINGS DONE. AND THE
GOVERNOR HAS HAD TO DO THINGS
THAT REQUIRES THE HOUSE
>> SPEAKER, MELISSA HORTMAN,
AND MOST FELLOW DEMOCRATS IN THE
HOUSE HAVE VOTED TO EXTEND
THE GOVERNOR'S POWERS WITH EACH
MONTHLY VOTE,
MONTHLY VOTE, >> NOT EVERY PROBLEM IN SOCIETY
CAN BE SOLVED BY PASSING A LAW.
SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT GOING TO PUT OUT
A FIRE IS NOT SUBJECT TO A
DECISION BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDING
TO A CRIME ON THE STREET THAT IS
NOT SUBJECT TO THE DECISION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THEY GO OUT
AND THEY COMPLETE EXECUTIVE
FUNCTION TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
THAT IS WHAT THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH IS DOING AT THIS
PARTICULAR TIME. THEY
ARE COMMITTING EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONS TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
>> ASKED THE GOVERNOR ABOUT HIS
THOUGHTS ON HIS POWERS DURING
THE PANDEMIC. THE GOVERNOR'S
SPOKESPERSON, TEDDY TSCHANN
SAID, QUOTE, THERE'S LIGHT AT
THE END OF THE TUNNEL
WITH VACCINATION UNDERWAY,
BUT THE VIRUS CONTINUES TO POSE
A SERIOUS THREAT TO MINENSOTA
HOSPITAL CAPACITY. AND OF
COURSE, THE HEALTH
OF INDIVIDUALS. THAT'S WHY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND 49 OUT
OF 50 STATES ARE OPERATING IN A
STATE OF EMERGENCY JUST LIKE
MINENSOTA. THE GOVERNOR IS
ENCOURAGED THAT THE LEGISLATURE
PLANS TO FOCUS ON THE PANDEMIC
IN THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE
SESSION. AND HE'S ASKED HIM
TO START PASSING MITIGATION
EFFORTS LIKE A FACE COVERING
REQUIREMENT INTO LAW.
>> JEANNA HILDRE SAYING IF
THE LEGISLATURE STARTS
THE TWENTY TWENTY ONE SESSION
NEXT TUESDAY ON THE 5TH JANUARY,
SO LAWMAKERS SAY THEY'LL BE MUCH
MORE INVOLVED IN CERTAIN
DECISIONS, AT LEAST FINANCIALLY
ON THE PANDEMIC. AND I BETKER
HORTMAN WHEN SHE WOULD SUPPORT
ENDING THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY
POWERS. WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?
AND SHE SAID, WELL , WHEN
THE EMERGENCY IS OVER AND THE
VIRUS IS A THREAT TO FIVE
MILLION MINNESOTANS.
MILLION MINNESOTANS. >> SO SPEAKER HORTMAN HORTMAN
MAKES THE POINT THAT EMERGENCY
POWERS ARE NEEDED FOR SPEEDY
DECISIONS AND REACTION. BUT WHAT
DOES THE MAJORITY LEADER GAZELKA
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
>>? I THINK IN GENERAL HIS GRIPE
WITH THE PROCESS WAS NOT EARLY
ON BECAUSE THEY VOTED TO GRANT
EMERGENCY POWERS TO THE
GOVERNOR EARLY ON . HE JUST
THOUGHT THAT AS THE PANDEMIC HAS
LINGERED, THERE ARE DECISIONS
THAT SHOULD GET INPUT FROM
VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE STATE .
I MEAN, PEOPLE IN THE NORTHWEST
OF MINNESOTA ARE GOING TO HAVE
A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
AND DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE THAN
PEOPLE SAY IN THE TWIN CITIES.
AND HE THOUGHT THAT SOME
OF THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE
HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
HANDLED DIFFERENTLY. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PEOPLE ALLOWED IN CHURCHES
VERSUS RESTAURANTS OR USE SPORTS
AND THINGS LIKE THAT KEEP THINGS
PEOPLE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED NOW
AND THAT THE EMERGENCY IS SAY
DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS WHEN IT
FIRST STARTED. ALL THAT UP
FOR DEBATE. YEAH. SO IS
THE CONCERN THERE, CHRIS ,
THAT IF THEY DO DEBATE IT
BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ONLY DIVIDED
LEGISLATURE THAT THEY JUST END
UP WITHOUT AN ANSWER. RIGHT.
AND SO WE DON'T GET THINGS DONE.
IS THAT THE I GUESS THE GOVERNOR
SIDE OF IT?
>> YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S
THE QUESTION I ASKED. YOU WANT
ONE PERSON MAKING A DECISION,
A QUICK DECISION WHERE EVERYBODY
IN THE STATE OR WOULD YOU RATHER
HAVE A BODY DELIBERATING BILLS
FOR MONTHS, MONTHS WHEN SOMEBODY
MAY NEED MONEY IN THE NEXT 48
HOURS TO SAVE SOMETHING?
HE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE
ABLE TO DO IT