 On Monday, Governor Walz traveled to Ely in northeastern Minnesota where he received a briefing on the spread of wildfires and met with wildfire crews, local officials, first responders, and impacted residents.
“With the continued threat of dangerous and unpredictable fires, I extend my deepest gratitude to the firefighters, National Guard members, and first responders working around the clock to keep Minnesotans safe,” said Governor Walz. “Coordinated response across local, state, and federal partners has made a real difference. And across northeastern Minnesota, neighbors have come together, supporting one another and uplifting those hit the hardest. As response efforts continue and recovery begins, we will do everything in our power to support emergency operations and help impacted communities.”
The Governor’s visit comes as fires in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), ignited by lightning storms on July 6, impact communities across Northeastern Minnesota. Unprecedented hot and dry conditions led to the spread of fires, which have burned over 64,000 acres across Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties and prompted closure of the BWCAW. Thousands of state and federal personnel are working to extinguish the fires.
 On Wednesday, Governor Walz joined local elected officials and business leaders for the groundbreaking for Lohmann Therapy Systems’ (LTS) West Saint Paul campus expansion. The pioneering pharmaceutical company’s Minnesota expansion will increase its research and development, pilot manufacturing, quality testing, and technical infrastructure capabilities. The project represents a long-term investment in Minnesota’s economy, healthcare innovation, and workforce development.
“I am proud that LTS continues to choose Minnesota as a national hub,” said Governor Walz. “Their investment in our state creates jobs, strengthens our economy, and builds on Minnesota’s long history of healthcare innovation. Minnesota is open for business, and we’ll continue making the case on the international stage that there’s no better place to invest.”
Established in 1979 and headquartered in Andernach, Germany, LTS develops advanced drug delivery technologies that go beyond conventional dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. The company is dedicated to making treatments more effective, more convenient, and easier for patients to use. With more than 2,200 employees worldwide, LTS partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop and manufacture therapies that improve patients' lives. Today, LTS manufactures more than 40 commercial products and supports more than 50 active development programs. The company's global footprint enables it to support pharmaceutical innovators worldwide while maintaining the quality, reliability, and technical excellence that have made LTS a trusted partner for more than four decades.
Through the Walz-Flanagan Administration’s international trade missions, business development initiatives, and investments in workforce support such as paid family and medical leave, Minnesota has become a top destination for business growth and expansion. Since the beginning of the first Walz administration, more than 35,000 new businesses have launched in Minnesota, and the state has added more jobs under Governor Walz than under any previous governor in recorded history. During the administration, average weekly wages have increased by nearly 30 percent, and Minnesota recorded the lowest unemployment rate in state history while earning recognition as one of the nation’s best states for jobs. The administration continues to support both economic growth and workers by indexing the minimum wage to inflation, guaranteeing earned sick and safe time, banning most noncompete agreements, and strengthening workplace protections.
Governor Walz signed an executive order to prevent state employees from using nonpublic information for insider trading on prediction markets, following a federal judge’spreliminary injunction blocking Minnesota from implementing a law banning prediction markets. The legislation passed with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and was scheduled to go into law on August 1, making Minnesota the first in the nation to ban these platforms.
“State employees serve the public and shouldn’t make money off insider information,” said Governor Walz. “It is clear that the Trump administration and companies like Kalshi are more interested in lining their pockets than protecting public trust and keeping people safe. Regardless of Trump’s grift, I am taking executive action to reinforce the strong ethical standards we have in Minnesota.”
The executive order prohibits employees of state agencies from using nonpublic or confidential information obtained from their employment to participate in prediction markets. The restriction applies whether an employee realizes a profit or incurs a loss from a transaction. Employees who violate the order may be subject to discipline up to and including discharge.
Online prediction markets have surged in recent years, allowing people to place wagers on the outcome of future events such as elections, sporting events, and world affairs. An individual's position in government should not give them an unfair financial advantage. The growth of these platforms can erode public trust by creating opportunities for elected officials and government employees to profit from nonpublic information, while also fueling gambling addiction and raising public safety and national security concerns.
Governor Walz announced that Minnesota is the second best state for healthcare in the country, according to a recent study from WalletHub.
“When we invest in the health and well-being of Minnesotans, we see improved health outcomes and lower healthcare costs,” said Governor Walz. “Minnesota has again demonstrated itself to be nation-leading in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes; part of what makes this state the best place in the country to raise a family.”
This comes on the heels of record work done by the Walz-Flanagan Administration to improve healthcare and lower costs, including overseeing record enrollment in state health insurance and reducing MNsure premium costs by 25%. The administration also reduced costs of prescription drugs like insulin and codified ironclad reproductive freedoms.
According to the study, Minnesota is home to the highest number of convenient care clinics per capita. The state also boasts the eighth best public hospital system in the country and landed as the nation’s seventh-highest life expectancy.
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