Temperatures will continue to fall over the next few days

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a recall petition against Gov. Tim Walz.

Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote in an 11-page order that the state’s recall threshold for elective officials is necessarily high, and the bid to remove the DFL governor didn’t meet it.

A group of voters argued that Walz committed malfeasance with his executive orders around the coronavirus pandemic, including his stay-at-home directive that came with a potential fine for violators.

Gildea said she wouldn’t pass judgment on whether Walz exceeded his authority.

She wrote that “to determine whether sufficient grounds and facts have been alleged, I do not need to decide whether Gov. Walz had the authority to issue the stay-at-home order or the other emergency executive orders at issue.”

Gildea said the law doesn’t require her to render a verdict on whether Walz exceeded his authority. But even if proven, she wrote that the allegations in the petition “do not

Walz emergency orders have some questioning 

Where does Walz get that executive power for COVID-19 actions?

She declined to appoint a special judge to oversee the case as she dismissed it in its entirety.

No Minnesota governor has faced a successful recall.

Crime, Law and Justice

Politics and Government News

Health

COVID-19

Brian Bakst

Author

A group of voters wanted Gov. Tim Walz to face a recall election over his coronavirus restrictions. The chief justice of Minnesota’s Supreme Court said a high threshold wasn’t met.

Gov. Tim Walz announces new COVID-19 guidelines.

Minnesota chief justice tosses Walz recall effort

Go Deeper.

Like this?