Lately, Minnesota has been in the national spotlight for reasons other than tatertot hotdish, pull tabs, and ice fishing. One of the big stories to come out of Minnesota recently has been the rampant fraud that has been linked to Minnesota daycares, as well as a big push from the federal government's Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers over illegal immigrants living in Minnesota. Now it appears at least one Minnesota Senator is sharing that the Minnesota Legislature might be looking at impeaching Gov. Walz.

Impeachment Hearings For Minnesota's Governor?

Minnesota's 10th Senate District encompasses portions of Aitkin, Benton, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Morrison counties, and the Senator from District 10, Nathan Wesenberg, shared on social media tonight that some Minnesota House members have filed articles of impeachment against Governor Walz.

Sen. Wesenberg shared the articles of impeachment from Rep. Mike Wiener of Long Prairie.

Can A Minnesota Governor Be Impeached?

The short answer is yes. Very few Minnesota elected positions can face impeachment according to the state constitution, with the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Attorney General, and judges for corrupt conduct or crimes, with the House bringing charges and the Senate trying them.

Specifically, Article VIII Section 1 and 2 of the Minnesota Constitution talks about impeachment. Not only would someone found guilty during the impeachment process lose office, but the Constitution of Minnesota also states, "The party convicted shall also be subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law."

How Would An Impeachment Hearing Work In Minnesota?

A resolution would need to be made in the Minnesota House to impeach the Governor; they would need to have specific allegations of wrongdoing outlined in that resolution.

Then, for it to move on to the Minnesota Senate, the House would have to have a vote on the articles of impeachment. The resolution just has to pass by a majority vote.

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Once the articles of impeachment reach the Senate, Senators would be sworn in for a trial, where the Senate acts as a court, hearing evidence for and against the Governor.

If the Senate finds the Governor meets the criteria for being impeached during the trial, all that is needed to remove the Governor is a two-thirds majority vote of the Senators present for conviction and removal from office. If that were to happen, the Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, would be sworn in as Governor.

READ MORE FROM PAUL SHEA