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Lt. Gov. Flanagan to assume state's top job Monday while Walz has colonoscopy

Gov. Tim Walz will briefly transfer power Monday to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan while he's undergoing a colonoscopy, and he's expected to be back to work Tuesday.

By Kelly Smith

March 5, 2023 at 8:01PM

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gov. Tim Walz will briefly transfer power to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Monday while he undergoes a colonoscopy.

On Sunday, he notified House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion of the brief transfer of power starting at 1 p.m. Monday. He's slated to be back to work on Tuesday and urged Minnesotans to also seek preventive care.

"Preventive care screenings are critical tools to help detect, prevent, and treat disease," he said in a statement.

Walz also briefly transferred power to Flanagan in 2019 during a knee surgery.

about the writer

Kelly Smith

News team leader

Kelly Smith is a news editor, supervising a team of reporters covering Minnesota social services, transportation issues and higher education. She previously worked as a news reporter for 16 years.