Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Republican proposal to strip Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of the emergency powers he used to close schools as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota passed its first test in the state Senate on Wednesday. All previous attempts at the Legislature to roll back Walz’s emergency powers have failed along party lines. The proposal highlights the political divisions over how best to address the safety concerns about reopening schools, while also considering the needs of children who have fared poorly with distance learning. “There has been great consternation and concern about the closure of our public schools for in-person student learning,” said Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester. She said her bill “puts the decision making where it should be, which is the locally elected school board.”