(NewsNation) — Minnesota governor Tim Walz has been tapped to run alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and several of his pandemic-era response policies are being thrust into the spotlight, including a hotline to report social distancing violations.
Republicans have seized on his previous stances saying they were an “overreach” as Walz hits the campaign trail.
But the governor and former teacher has stood behind the “hard decisions” he made for the sake of public health, which were lauded by health officials inundated with COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The issue divided the state’s legislature at the time.
Here is a closer look at Walz’s social distancing hotline:
What was the pandemic hotline?
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz put in place a slew of policies aimed at curbing the rapid spread of the disease, which caused over 350,000 U.S. deaths in 2020 alone.
Along with putting in place mask mandates, the governor also instituted a hotline number for people to report those violating social distancing guidelines.
Violations carried penalties of up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail but Walz’s administration told police departments to warn people rather than issue citations, reported the Minnesota Reformer.
Walz also extended an emergency stay-at-home order in April which lasted through mid-May.
Minnesota was among the states with the lowest coronavirus death rates between February 2020 and April 2022, but the state still had extended periods of crowded intensive care units, reported StatNews.
The pandemic restrictions slammed the state’s Republican lawmakers.
“I vehemently disagree with Governor Walz on the effectiveness of this hotline. Rather than serve as a resource, this hotline will only spread fear and mistrust amongst neighbors and communities,” State Senator Jeff Howe said in a statement at the time.
Walz’s policies also made it to former President Donald Trump’s radar at the time who posted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” on X as criticism of the governor.
How long was it in use and did anyone get cited?
The hotline was launched in March 2020 under a sweeping public health order by Walz, which included mask mandates and some business closures.
Alpha News, a conservative site based in Minnesota, reported the hotline was monitored until November 2020.
The Minnesota Public Safety Department and the Department of Public Health did not immediately return a request for comment asking more details about the hotline.
The outlet also reported approximately 10,000 COVID-related emails passed through the hotline, though not all were related to social distancing and some were spam emails.
As of April 2020, no citations were issued under the hotline, reported CBS News, but it is unclear if any were given since.
What has Walz said about it?
Walz defended the hotline as a way to educate Minnesotans about the stay-home order, reported the Minnesota Reformer.
“It is being used, and we simply want to let people be able to call and let folks know,” he said. “It’s for their own good. If we see people that may not be as informed on this, it’s an educational piece.”
Walz was called out by several lawmakers and residents for all his health measures, but that was to be expected, he told Politico.
“I got to the point where I was saying ‘Please, just wear the mask so you live long enough to vote against me,’” Walz said.
The Upper Midwest Law Center filed a lawsuit in 2020 on behalf of several residents, small business owners and churches arguing the governor’s actions were an overreach of power which made its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The court sent it back to the Minnesota Court of Appeals which ruled that Walz did have the authority to make the emergency orders, reported CBS News.
He went on to win reelection in 2022 defeating anti-mask, anti-vaccine opponent Dr. Scott Jensen.
