Rep. Paul Marquart Drafting Bill to Address Concerns with Governor’s Extended Emergency Powers

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – Rep. Paul Marquart says although he’s voted to end Governor Walz’ Emergency Powers, he doesn’t necessarily want to end all of his Executive Orders.

Under the current law, if both the State House & Senate were to vote to repeal the Governor’s Emergency Powers, all of his Executive Orders would end immediately as well. “That’s why we have to have this discussion, because many of these Executive Orders protect our veterans and our veteran’s homes, protects our frontline healthcare workers, first responders, and citizens at risk,” Marquart said.

Marquart says he’s working on a bi-partisan bill that will give power back to the legislature while protecting those most vulnerable during the Pandemic. He hopes this bill will also change Statute Chapter 12 which deals with Emergency Powers, “That’s what gave the Governor the Emergency Powers in the first place; when we set that law up, it was usually for floods or tornadoes where the Governor would have Emergency Powers for a few days, maybe a week – we never anticipated Chapter 12 would be used for a long-term pandemic that would go for quite some time.”

Marquart says when finalized, the bill will solve the long-term problem, if something like a pandemic were to occur again.

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