ST. PAUL, Minnesota (KROC-AM News) – The Minnesota Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit challenging the governor’s authority to declare a peacetime emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A district court judge first heard the case and ruled that Governor Tim Waltz has the authority to declare a state of emergency to address a public health crisis under the Minnesota Emergency Management Act. The judge who ruled said the pandemic was a natural phenomenon, and the law specifically listed natural phenomena in circumstances that could declare a state of emergency in peacetime.

The plaintiffs appealed, but by the time the Minnesota Court of Appeals heard the case, Governor Waltz had signed legislation ending the state of emergency, waiving authority to issue pandemic-related executive orders. The Court of Appeal therefore dismissed the action, declaring it moot.

In a ruling issued today, the Minnesota Supreme Court agreed with the Court of Appeals that most of the issues raised by the lawsuit are now moot, but the judge also ruled that Governor Waltz could legally declared the central question of whether to declare a peacetime emergency “This is an important statewide issue that must be resolved immediately.” This decision means the Court of Appeals must now hear the arguments in the case and rule on whether the governor has trampled on his powers by taking over emergency powers during the pandemic.