Ewald at the Capitol

More Leadership News

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) has formally announced his candidacy for Hennepin County attorney. The Hennepin County attorney’s office includes 208 attorneys and has a current annual budget of $61.9 million. Winkler announced he will not step down from his role as Majority Leader for the House DFL Caucus while running.

Rep. Winkler has served seven non-consecutive terms in the House, and currently lives in Golden Valley. He received his undergrad degree from Harvard University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota. He founded the Twin Cities chapter of the American Constitution Society, which advocates for a progressive legal system.

“People in Hennepin County are frustrated that their leaders have not delivered basic public safety needs for our communities. I’m running for county attorney because we need progressive leadership that will bring people together around a common vision for addressing public safety and racial justice,” said Rep. Winkler.

What's Happening with Special Session

A proposed special session is still in limbo as the governor and legislative leaders have yet to agree on how it would play out. Gov. Walz would like three things addressed during a special session: Frontline Worker Bonuses, drought relief and additional pandemic response. The Frontline Worker Bonuses were supposed to be settled by the working group by Sept. 6, but those involved are still far from an agreement.

In addition, the Senate has not yet confirmed nor denied that they plan to fire Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm should a special session be called. Thus, the current special session stalemate.

Some of Gov. Walz’s wishes for a special session include pandemic-related waivers to provide additional flexibility to various industries as COVID-19-related struggles continue. A few are:

Continue authorized CCAP payments to closed childcare providers when a classroom closes due to COVID-19.
Temporary suspension of staff distribution requirements for childcare providers.
Temporary waivers for medical professionals to address staffing needs.
Allow verbal signatures on applications for assistance when a county or tribal office is closed due to COVID-19, or if there is no internet access.