State government takes steps to lessen the impact of Federal Government shutdown
The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul is shown against a hazy sky on the morning of Thursday, May 18, 2023. The Minnesota Legislature is working to complete the major budget bills of the 2023 session so that lawmakers can adjourn by the night of Monday, May 22. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
With the threat of a federal government shutdown looming, Governor Tim Walz on Thursday, outlined the steps the state is taking to mitigate the impact on Minnesota.
“Republicans in Congress are putting personal politics ahead of hundreds of millions of dollars in food, health care, and military spending,” Governor Tim Walz said in a press release. “But if Washington won’t lead, Minnesota will. I have directed my state agencies to take every step available to communicate with Minnesotans and mitigate the impacts of a federal shutdown.”
According to the governors office, the lapse of federal funding will have minimal impact on many federally funded state activities, at least short-term. They say some federal resources have already been obligated for many state services through block grants. The longer a shutdown lasts, however, the greater the impact to the state programs and services Minnesotans rely on.
“We’re working closely with our state agencies to help ensure Minnesotans have what they need to take care of their families,” Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan said.
According to the Press Release: The Governor will be regularly convening his cabinet to share information and explore creative solutions where possible.
Activating Statewide Contingency Response Team
Governor Walz has stood up the Statewide Contingency Response Team to work with individual state agencies to identify near-term programmatic impacts to Minnesotans.
Communicating Service Disruptions
The Governor has asked state agencies to reach out to the people, communities, and Tribal Nations that might experience service interruptions and to provide regular updates throughout a potential shutdown.
Working with Congressional Delegation
Governor Walz and his administration will continue to work with our representatives in Congress to support Minnesotans adversely affected by the shutdown.
Legal Protections for Minnesota
Governor Walz has directed Minnesota Management and Budget to work with the Attorney General to analyze legal remedies against the federal government if there is any failure to reimburse the State of Minnesota.