Governor talks possible special session

ELY — Gov. Tim Walz visited Ely on Tuesday to meet with local officials about the area’s wildfire response and the economic fallout from the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. At a news conference at Ely Municipal Airport, Walz praised the community’s emergency officials and discussed the possibility of a special legislative session to provide aid to the region.
“I just want to say the rest of the state of Minnesota is with you up here,” Walz said.
Walz praised first responders, law enforcement, and fire officials, for preventing injuries and fatalities despite dangerous conditions.
“At this point in time, a fire of this magnitude in the heat that we’re dealing with, the unpredictable nature of it, to not have any serious injuries, is a testament to the planning,” Walz said.
Walz also acknowledged the economic hardship facing the region due to the wildfires, evacuations, and closures. State Sen. Grant Hauschild and Rep. Roger Skraba have already called for state assistance.
Skraba also spoke at the news conference, thanking Walz for declaring a peacetime emergency and expressing hope that the BWCAW will reopen soon to help struggling businesses.
Walz echoed a message now frequently repeated by Ely leaders.
“We’re open for business. You can listen to the guidance. We can stay out of the way of the folks that are doing the fight and still make sure that we’re doing the things that we want to do,” Walz said.
Regarding the possibility of a special session, Walz noted that it would fall in the middle of Minnesota’s primary election season. He said that timing could complicate negotiations because lawmakers from both parties may want to add unrelated legislation.
“If there is a special session, it should focus on the fire and the recovery of northern Minnesota, and that’s it,” Walz said.
Walz said increasingly frequent wildfires may require broader, long-term changes in how the state prepares for and responds to them. He noted that some parts of the border country recently reached 104 degrees, temperatures unprecedented for the area, and that smoke from the fires created some of the worst air quality in the world.
“I think what all of us need to recognize, and this is a broader, longer conversation, we’re probably entering our new norm,” Walz said.