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Ahead of dangerous winter weather conditions expected this weekend, Governor Walz declared a peacetime emergency, authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to provide support for emergency storm operations.
“Despite recent Spring weather, Minnesotans know that a March snowstorm is never out of the question,” said Governor Walz. “As we brace for this potentially dangerous round of winter weather, I am grateful to our National Guard for stepping in to keep Minnesotans safe.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a major winter storm for much of Minnesota beginning the evening of Saturday, March 14. The storm is expected to bring snowfall and strong winds, potentially creating blizzard conditions. Travel is expected to become nearly impossible in parts of the state and widespread power outages could occur.
The state has received a request from Steele County for the Minnesota National Guard to provide the personnel, equipment, facilities, and resources necessary to respond to the severe weather. Due to the widespread nature of the storm, additional counties are likely to require assistance in the days to come.
 Governor Walz encouraged Minnesotans to file for the state’s nation-leading child tax credit, highlighting data showing that thousands of Minnesota families have already benefited from the credit, which helps families afford necessities and lifts children out of poverty.
So far this year, more than 154,000 tax returns have claimed the Child Tax Credit, benefiting over 318,000 children across Minnesota. Families are receiving an average credit of $2,669. The credit is estimated to reduce child poverty by up to a third in Minnesota, making it one of the most impactful investments in children and families in state history.
“These numbers show exactly why we created the Child Tax Credit: to put money in the pockets of working families and lift children out of poverty,” said Governor Walz. “Hundreds of thousands of Minnesota children are already benefiting this tax season, and we want every eligible family to make sure they claim the credit when they file their taxes this year.”
Minnesota’s Child Tax Credit allows families to receive up to $1,750 per qualifying child. The credit is refundable, meaning families can receive the full value even if they do not owe state income tax.
Governor Walz announced a proposal to transform Minnesota’s human services system, outlining a major structural overhaul of the state’s administration of human services. The proposal would streamline Minnesota’s service delivery model, moving away from the complex, layered administration managed by a patchwork of counties, Managed Care Organizations, and state agencies to a single, centralized entity.
The proposal would also modernize Medicaid administration, consolidate administrative functions, and initiate independent reviews to strengthen program integrity and improve how services are delivered to Minnesotans.
“Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the best states to live because we invest in programs that support children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families,” said Governor Walz. “But systems built decades ago must evolve to meet today’s challenges. This proposal begins the work of modernizing how we deliver human services so we can strengthen oversight, increase efficiency, and improve the quality of services Minnesotans rely on. This is about asking whether the way our system is organized today best supports accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery for the future.”
The Governor’s proposal builds on recent efforts to strengthen fraud prevention and accountability in state programs, including a comprehensive anti-fraud package introduced in February, the permanent appointment of Commissioner Gandhi to lead the state Department of Human Services’ ongoing efforts to combat fraud, and the implementation of a nine-part fraud prevention roadmap developed by Director of Program Integrity Tim O’Malley.
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