ST. PAUL – State Rep. Nels Pierson, R-Rochester, issued the following statement regarding Gov. Tim Walz's announcement lifting the state's Stay at Home order effective Monday, and laying out plans to allow the re-opening of restaurants, churches, and other businesses in the coming weeks.
“Minnesotans have been patient for two months now and the governor’s shutdown has gone on long enough,” Pierson said. “I hear from countless constituents every day who are expressing more and more frustration over the governor shutting down our state and their concerns are valid. The citizens who have been working with legislators to relay their opinions to the governor should be commended because they have influenced his decision to start developing a path forward.
“That said, while loosening up the stay-at-home order is a positive step, another month of living under the governor’s emergency powers and unilateral decisions remains concerning. The governor needs to do a better job of allowing the Legislature to legislate instead of Minnesotans being subject to one person ruling by executive order. Much work remains in getting our state fully re-opened and safety remains a priority. Scenarios from the governor's own administration show we need to do a better job of protecting people in nursing homes and, at this point, reports indicate approximately 537 of our state's 663 Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in assisted-living or long-term care facilities. We can do better for those people while allowing our society to function.”
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