

SINE DIE II - Special Session 1
Gov. Tim Walz calls the special session to have his peacetime emergency extended by the legislature. This would also give the House and Senate the opportunity to agree on three major issues. These issues are a COVID-19 local relief package, police reform and accountability and bonding for major construction projects. The Senate set June 19 as a deadline to get this done while the House hoped to have agreement before or by July 4. The special session began with the House and S


Secure Special Session
Secure fencing remained around the Capitol after the largest call up of the National Guard since WWII to protect the building. The death of George Floyd sparked several nights of riots and looting in parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Peaceful demonstrators had filled the Capitol mall after the death of George Floyd and then two days before the start of the special session protesters tore down the statue of Christopher Columbus on the Capitol mall. To secure the Capitol, Stat


Columbus Plaque Removed
Columbus Statue Ripped Down By Protesters A Day Earlier June 11 - Doug Shiedel, top, watches from the perch where Christopher Columbus once stood as Andrew Schultz, left and Ludger Dekarski, right, of the Dept. of Administration Trades Shop, remove the plaque from the Columbus Memorial on the Capitol grounds for safe keeping. The statue of Columbus was ripped from the memorial the day before by protesters.


Minnesota National Guard Protect Capitol
May 29 - The Largest Deployment of the Minnesota National Guard Since WWII June 1 - A Threat to Storm and Burn the Minnesota State Capitol On Thursday, May 28, Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order to activate the Minnesota National Guard in response to the extensive damage to public and private property in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The National Guards mission was to support state and local law enforcement for the protection of Minnesotan’s safety and maintain the peace in