In an interview with Alpha News, Darius Teichroew, co-founder of Reopen Minnesota, spoke about the coalition’s efforts to help businesses reopen despite the governor’s restrictions and hinted at a future lawsuit.
Before launching Reopen Minnesota, Teichroew rallied together roughly 60 businesses that were open in defiance of Gov. Tim Walz’s executive orders. In May of this year, Teichroew worked with others to co-found the Reopen Minnesota Coalition.
“We hear from a lot of people on both sides of this issue. We hear from people who have lost loved ones and think because of that that restaurants and bars should be shut, but we also have a lot of people on our side who have lost loved ones, who don’t believe that we should make restaurants and bars, among other places, make them the scapegoat for the tragic loss of life that COVID has brought,” Teichroew said.
During the interview, Teichroew hinted at a future lawsuit but wanted to wait to release more details.
“We have a certain amount already raised, we’re looking at using some of that for a lawsuit more on the offensive side of things. A lot of these business owners are fighting defensive battles and we want to fight an offensive battle, federal lawsuit,” Teichroew said. “So we’re in the late stages of organizing that, so that some of those funds will go there.”
“Without showing our hand too much, we are in talks with several attorneys that are looking at taking this into a federal court because our state courts have not been very friendly to freedom, constitutional freedom,” he added.
“And the nice thing is in a federal court, if you win there you pretty much in many ways free up the entire state, whereas if you win in a certain county you may not affect every other area,” Teichroew explained.
On social media, the coalition has been markedly hostile toward Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison and has even asked businesses to deny service to the officials. The coalition has called the governor a terrorist, tyrant, fascist, and bully. But Teichroew doesn’t think the hostility will make many businesses wary of joining the coalition.
“Well, I mean, I assume there might be some, but the lion’s share of people that we talk to, the owners, that’s actually quite mild compared to some of the things we hear. The level of distaste for this governor and the attorney general, we’re holding it back, if you will,” he said.
Businesses that join the coalition are encouraged to create their own set of COVID-19 precautions. The co-founder said that the coalition isn’t too worried about viral spread from their reopened businesses.
“The data, the science is not behind these restrictions at all,” said Teichroew. “So, we’re not too concerned that we are going to be a super-spreader by any means.”
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Judah Torgerud
Judah Torgerud is a freelance journalist working with Alpha News to keep the people informed and bring the truth to light. Contact him at whqnu@nycunarjfza.pbz.
