Governor Says Statewide Contingency Response Team Gathered Ahead of Looming Government Shutdown

(KNSI) — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is issuing a statement ahead of a possible government shutdown this weekend.

A press release from Walz’s office explains a lapse of federal funding will have minimal impact on many federally funded state activities in the short term because some federal resources have already been obligated for many state services through block grants. But, the longer a shutdown lasts, the greater the impact on state programs and services.

The White House says a government shutdown would take food out of the mouths of people who deal with food insecurity as Meals on Wheels, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would run out of money within a few days. According to the state Department of Health, they would still have funding for a few weeks.

Over 20,000 federal workers in Minnesota would be furloughed or forced to work without pay. Eleven critical infrastructure projects in the state would also grind to a halt.

The governor says a Statewide Contingency Response Team has been created to work with individual agencies to identify near-term impacts on Minnesotans. Staffers say Governor Walz will be regularly convening his cabinet to share information and explore creative solutions where possible.

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