Emergency order extended as flood waters keep rising
Gov. Mark Dayton said Monday that he’s still not sure whether he’ll need to call a special session of the Legislature to approve state aid to flood damaged communities.
Dayton and other members of the state executive council met briefly to extend an emergency declaration for 35 counties for another 30 days. Afterward, the governor said the situation is still unfolding as river levels continue to rise. Dayton told reporters that he expects a new $3 million disaster assistance account will be exhausted, but he said he views a special session is a “last recourse.”
“If we can see a way through the state funds and the federal funds that we can bridge that gap both in terms of what we do and how we pay for it, then we’ll certainly endeavor to wait until the regular session,” Dayton, a Democrat up for re-election in November, said. “But we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Still, Dayton said he’s committed to getting needed help to communities, farmers, business and families as quickly as possible.
Dayton plans to visit some of the hardest hits areas in and around the Twin Cities on Tuesday. He expects to travel to Warroad on Wednesday. He described the scope of the flooding statewide as “enormous.”
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