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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Minnesota)

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Responses by state

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:

Additionally, the article includes:

To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.

Documenting_STATE%27s_path_to_recovery_from_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020-2021


Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19

General election changes

Minnesota modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: The absentee/mail-in ballot postmark deadline was extended to November 3, 2020; the receipt deadline was extended to November 10, 2020. The witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots was suspended.
  • Candidate filing procedures: General election candidates were allowed to submit filing forms and petitions electronically.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Primary election changes

Minnesota modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Voting procedures: The absentee/mail-in ballot postmark deadline was extended to August 11 and the receipt deadline was extended to August 13. The witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots was suspended.
  • Political party events: The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota opted to conduct all local and district-level conventions online. The Republican Party of Minnesota also opted to conduct all local party conventions online.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.


Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4

See also: States with lockdown and stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

On March 25, Gov. Tim Walz (D) issued a stay-at-home order, which directed individuals in the state to remain at home unless performing essential activities and placed restrictions on non-essential businesses.[11]

On April 8, Walz extended the order through May 4. On April 30, Walz extended the order again. The order expired on May 17.[12][13][14]

The original executive contains a list of essential businesses and services.

Executive orders, March 30 through June 29

See also: Executive orders issued by governors and state agencies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


Court closures, March 17 through November 4

See also: State court closures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • May 15, 2020: The Minnesota Supreme Court order judges and court staff to implement transitional case strategies approved by the Judicial Council for district court proceedings. Under the order, courts were expected to meet the criteria outlined in the Minnesota Judicial Branch COVID Preparedness Plan, including social distancing measures and face masks for public-facing staff. The court also authorized pilot jury trials to proceed on or after June 1.[15]
  • May 1, 2020: The Minnesota Supreme Court extended restrictions on in-person proceedings through May 18. Jury trials were suspended until June 1.[16]
  • April 10, 2020: The Minnesota Supreme Court extended restrictions on in-person proceedings and suspension of jury trials through May 4.[17]
  • March 23, 2020: Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea issued a statewide order, effective March 23, 2020, which restricted in-person access to courthouses through April 22 or until another order was issued. Hearings that needed to occur during the coronavirus pandemic could be held remotely.[18]
  • March 14, 2020: Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea ordered that proceedings across the state were suspended until March 30. Jury trials already underway and cases deemed high priority were exempt from the order.[19]

Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

The Minnesota State Legislature suspended some legislative activity, effective March 17, 2020, through April 7, 2020. Under the suspension, floor sessions and committee hearings were called only "when legislative leaders have agreed-upon legislation that needs to be acted upon." The legislature adjourned on May 17, 2020. A special session convened on June 12, 2020. The special session adjourned on June 19, 2020. Another special session convened on July 13, 2020, and adjourned on July 21, 2020. A third special session convened on August 12, 2020, and adjourned the same day.[20][21]

Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19

See also: State laws in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Minnesota. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24

See also: Changes to rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


  • August 4, 2020: Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed an order amending a previous moratorium on evictions and foreclosures to allow landlords to evict tenants if the landlord or property manager needed to move in or the tenant significantly damaged the property. Evictions for non-payment of rent remained prohibited.[22]
  • March 23, 2020: Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed an executive order that suspended evictions and foreclosures until the state of emergency in Minnesota was lifted.[23]


Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1

See also: State and local governments that released prison inmates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • Between March 30 and July 1, Minnesota did not make an announcement concerning the release of incarcerated individuals due to coronavirus on a state level. Hennepin County released incarcerated individuals on the local level.[24]


Debate in Minnesota over responses to the coronavirus

See also: Debate in Minnesota over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Minnesota in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.

Status of industries, May 15 through July 31

Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.

  • "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
  • Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
  • A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.

Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures

Minnesota released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on May 13, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on June 4. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery

See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery: June 4, 2020

On May 13, Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced he would allow Minnesota's stay-at-home order to expire and issue an executive order authorizing select retail and other businesses to resume operations at 50% capacity on May 18.

Walz said, "This is not the time for sudden movements. We are not flipping a switch and going back to normal all at once. We are slowly moving a dial and introducing more interaction between people over time. As we take cautious steps forward, it is more important than ever that we protect those most at risk, support workers, and all do our part to slow the spread of the virus."

Walz said the following health indicators would guide his decision-making about proceeding to subsequent phases of the state's reopening:

  • Testing capacity
  • Number of new COVID-19 cases
  • Percentage of positive COVID-19 tests
  • Percentage of COVID-19 cases for which the source of infection is unknown.

Before the expiration of the stay-at-home order, Walz signed an order allowing workers in some non-critical businesses to return to work (excluding dealing directly with customers). He also allowed retailers to reopen for curbside pick-up and delivery services.

Context

  • On March 25, Walz issued the original stay-at-home order, which directed individuals to remain at home (with exceptions made for carrying out essential activities) and placed restrictions on non-essential businesses. The order was first set to expire on April 10. Walz extended the order twice, first through May 4, and then through May 17, at which time the order expired.
  • As of June 3, Minnesota had reported 25,870 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,086 fatalities. As of July 2019, Minnesota had an estimated population of 5.6 million. For every 100,000 residents, the state had 458.7 confirmed cases and 19.3 fatalities.
  • Minnesota has a divided government. The governor is a Democrat, and Democrats have a majority of seats in the House. Republicans have a majority of seats in the Senate.

Plan details

Stay Home MN (March 26 through May 17, the period covered by the stay-at-home order)

Guidelines for individuals

  • Individuals were directed to remain in their homes, except to engage in essential activities and critical work.
  • Walz's original order did not directly permit social gatherings of any size.

Guidelines for businesses The following business restrictions were implemented during Minnesota's stay-at-home order.

  • Open
    • Critical businesses.
    • Non-critical businesses (non-customer facing only).
    • Retail (curbside pick-up only).
    • Restaurants and bars (delivery and take-out only).
    • Child-care facilities (priority given to workers in critical sectors).
    • Youth programming (only for workers in critical sectors).
    • Outdoor recreation activities and facilities.
    • Places of worship and religious services (gatherings of up to 10 people for funerals and weddings).
  • Closed
    • Personal services (salons, tattoo parlors, barbershops).
    • Gyms and fitness centers.
    • Entertainment (bowling alleys, movie theaters, etc.).
    • Outdoor entertainment venues.
    • School buildings.
    • Organized youth sports.
    • Campgrounds and charter boats.
    • Large public gatherings.
    • Pools.

Phase I (May 18 through June 1) The following changes were made in Phase I.

Guidelines for individuals

  • Individuals, particularly those belonging to vulnerable populations, were encouraged but not required to stay home whenever possible.
  • Gatherings of up to 10 people were permitted.

Guidelines for businesses

  • Retail (reopened at 50% capacity).
  • Outdoor entertainment venues (drive-in events permitted).
  • Child-care facilities (priority for critical sector workers lifted).
  • Youth programming (limitation to critical sector workers lifted).
  • Places of worship and religious services (reopened 25% capacity, not to exceed 250 people; effective May 27).

Phase II (June 1; indefinite end date) The following changes were made in Phase II.

Guidelines for individuals

  • No changes have been made thus far in Phase II.

Guidelines for businesses

  • Restaurants and bars (outdoor dining permitted, not to exceed 50 people; reservations required).
  • Personal services (reopened at 25% capacity; appointments required).
  • School buildings (reopened with hybrid model for summer learning).
  • Organized youth sports (reopened).
  • Campgrounds and charter boats (reopened).
  • Pools (reopened for youth sports and programs only).

Phase III (no fixed beginning and end dates) The following changes are expected to be made in Phase III.

Guidelines for individuals

  • Gatherings of up to 20 people will be permitted.

Guidelines for businesses

  • Restaurants and bars (indoor dining permitted).
  • The following businesses are expected to be reopened at unspecified increased capacity:
    • Retail.
    • Personal services.
    • Places of worship and religious services.
  • The following businesses may be allowed to reopen at unspecified capacity limits:
    • Gyms and fitness centers.
    • Outdoor entertainment venues.
    • Pools.

Phase IV (no fixed beginning and end dates) The following changes are expected to be made in Phase IV.

Guidelines for individuals

  • Modified guidelines for individuals and social gatherings to be determined.

Guidelines for businesses

  • The following businesses are expected to be reopened with an unspecified increased capacity:
    • Retail.
    • Restaurants and bars.
    • Personal services.
    • Gyms and fitness centers.
    • Outdoor entertainment venues.
    • School buildings.
    • Places of worship and religious services.
    • Pools.
  • The following businesses may be allowed to reopen at unspecified capacity limits:
    • Entertainment (bowling alleys, movie theaters, etc.).

Reactions

  • Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) has supported Walz's reopening plan: "As a member of the Executive Council, I support Governor Walz’s new executive orders and will vote to approve them this evening. As Attorney General and Minnesota’s chief legal officer, [I believe] Governor Walz is continuing to act fully within his legal and constitutional authority in issuing all these orders. My office is ready to and will defend any and all of them, as well as the Governor’s power to issue them. I appreciate the care and sensitivity that the Governor is bringing to gradually turning the dial on reopening Minnesota."
  • Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis has opposed Walz's reopening plan: "Giving small business permission to operate at a loss at 25 or 50% capacity without a clear end in sight does little to relieve the economic desperation we are seeing across our state. Additionally, the restrictions remain glaringly inconsistent. Restaurants can take up to 50 people with reservations in advance on their patio, but indoor establishments get even less relief. Churches as well as other gatherings are still limited to 10 people. The government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers!"
  • Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, supported Walz's decision to lift Minnesota's stay-at-home order: "Retailers across and in each corner of the State welcome Governor Walz’s announcement this evening that customers can return to in-store shopping May 18 under social distancing best practices. The safety of customers and workers in stores will be at the forefront of each transaction, and we know when stores re-open on or after May 18 they will be prepared and ready to welcome back customers."
  • Rob Dubnecay, a restaurateur in Minneapolis, opposed Walz's decision to restrict dine-in options to outdoor spaces only: "I'm beyond pretty disappointed. Now, great, you're going to open up patios, the problem is only 25% of restaurants have a patio. We've got 10 seats on a patio," Dubnecay said. "If we social distance, that's six. Six people sitting down is basically no different than when we started this back in March."

Coronavirus resources

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

State resources

Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.

Federal resources

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, "Carson v. Simon: Order," October 29, 2020
  2. ↑ Fox 9 KMSP, "Minnesota Secretary of State won't seek stay of decision requiring absentee ballots in by election night," October 31, 2020
  3. ↑ National Redistricting Foundation, "National Redistricting Foundation Wins Agreement to Remove Burdensome Vote-by-Mail Restrictions in Minnesota," August 3, 2020
  4. ↑ Ramsey County District Court, "LaRose v. Simon: Stipulation and Partial Consent Decree," June 16, 2020
  5. ↑ Democracy Docket, "Another Voting Rights Victory in Minnesota," June 16, 2020
  6. ↑ Minnesota Legislature, "HF 3429: 4th Engrossment," accessed May 25, 2020
  7. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Minnesota Governor Signs Bill Allowing Electronic Signatures on Candidate Petitions," May 25, 2020
  8. ↑ Minnesota Public Radio News, "GOP moves to online party conventions," March 18, 2020
  9. ↑ Minnesota GOP, "MN GOP Announces Changes to Party Conventions Amidst Coronavirus," March 13, 2020
  10. ↑ Minnesota Public Radio News, "DFL moves to online party conventions," March 17, 2020
  11. ↑ State of Minnesota, "Emergency Executive Order 20-20 Directing Minnesotans to Stay at Home," accessed April 9, 2020
  12. ↑ MinnPost, "What you need to know about Minnesota’s revised stay-at-home order," April 8, 2020
  13. ↑ Star Tribune, "Minnesotans to get two more weeks of stay-at-home, but with new flexibility," April 30, 2020
  14. ↑ Office of the Governor of Minnesota, "Emergency Executive Order 20-56," May 13, 2020
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named May18
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named May4
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Apr13courts
  18. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," March 23, 2020
  19. ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "MN courts suspend proceedings except for high priority cases or trials underway," March 14, 2020
  20. ↑ Redwood Falls Gazette, "Minnesota state legislature suspends its business until April 14," March 22, 2020
  21. ↑ Post Bulletin, "Minnesota Legislature to return Thursday to take up COVID-19 response," March 25, 2020
  22. ↑ MinnPost, "Minnesota’s eviction-ban update carves out some narrow exceptions," August 6, 2020
  23. ↑ State of Minnesota Executive Department, "Emergency Executive Order 20-14 Suspending Evictions and Writs of Recovery During the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency," March 23, 2020
  24. ↑ [ CBS Minnesota, WCCO,"Coronavirus In Minnesota: Hennepin County Jail Population Cut By 26% After Release Of Low-Risk Inmates To Prevent COVID-19 Spread," March 23, 2020]
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