Living Behind Enemy Lines, Tale #11: Fleeing Tim Walz's Minnesota

Normal Americans have been fleeing Blue States by the tens of thousands since the 2020 Democrat riots, the unconstitutional Covid lockdowns and the rigged presidential election; however, Lisa Hanson has a special reason for fleeing Minnesota: Governor Tim Walz threw her in prison for merely running her business.

Mrs. Hanson owned a wine and coffee bistro until she was thrown into jail for violating Walz’s lockdown orders. The current Democrat VP candidate “shut down and destroyed” her small business and she is warning Americans against making Walz America’s vice president: “You do not want tyranny at this level.”  

The mother of eight children and grandmother of 18 said, besides a speeding ticket she received as a teenager, she had always been a law-abiding citizen and owned businesses with her husband for more than 30 years.

At the time the China Virus, AKA Fauci Flu, was in full swing in 2020, Hanson said, her Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro in Albert Lea, about 90 miles south of Minneapolis, had been open for eight years. She initially complied with the shutdown order. However, she watched for months as Walz never fully reopened the state for businesses the tyrant deemed non-essential, such as bars, restaurants, gyms, dance studios and hair salons. The hypocritical governor never shut down liquor stores, the big box stores nor even strip clubs, however. Perhaps they donated to his campaign. 

DESTROYING SMALL BUSINESS IS ESSENTIAL TO ESTABLISH TOTALITARIANISM

“He shut down a lot of the mom-and-pop shops, those folks that were just trying to make a living and provide a great product and a great service,” Hanson told Fox News Digital. “In contrast, he allowed big box stores, etc. to stay open. Really incredible, an incredible use of tyranny against the people.” 

When Walz issued a November 2020 executive order that again shuttered dine-in services 100% for both indoor and outdoor bars and restaurants in the state, Hanson said, she joined a group of nearly 200 fellow business owners called Open Minnesota, believing the governor, supported by Democrat AG Keith Ellison, was operating “in a rogue fashion outside the law.” 

Mrs. Hanson eventually reopened her business, defying Walz’s renewed shutdown order six times between December 2020 and January 2021. Within 24 to 48 hours of first reopening her wine and coffee bistro in December 2020, Hanson said, “the state came down on us with a vengeance,” siccing the health department on her business and eventually bringing about a half-dozen civil and criminal cases against her. During her trial, she was denied due process and blamed “rogue judges,” Ellison and Walz for operating in “lockstep.” 

She was convicted in December 2021 on misdemeanor charges and received the maximum sentence of 90 days and a $1,000 fine. She served 60 days. There was plenty of room in prison since few BLM thugs were ever prosecuted.

“They employed all of their resources against We The People, just trying to run a company, serve a cup of coffee to a willing customer. And they said, ‘Nope, you can’t do that,'” Hanson said. “And mind you, there was never an injury. There was never an infection of COVID-19, nor was there ever a death that occurred because I had my doors open and willing customers came in to patronize me.”

Incurring tens of thousands in legal fees and fines, Hanson said, eventually her business was forced to close while under intense pressure from Marxist bureaucrats. “What happened to me was no accident, and they absolutely wanted to make an example, right?” Hanson said. “It was like literally living a nightmare.” 

“We had God-given, constitutionally protected rights to be open. There was no statute. There was no law that allowed Governor Walz to do what he did. He really did step outside of statutory law. But even more important, constitutional law,” Hanson said. “Because we have that right to be able to run our businesses and conduct our lives as we see fit, of course, staying within the rule of law.” 

“We have a corrupt government that’s coming against us and saying, ‘You do not have the right to run your business,'” she said. “That is not a republic. That is not how a republic acts. It’s a dictatorship.” 

A WARNING TO AMERICA

“This is the story that America needs to hear, that Tim Walz is not some cuddly, joyful coach, like all the things that the MSMs are calling him,” Hanson said. “That is not who this man is. This man would like to take your rights away. He will take your rights away. Because what happened to me could have happened to anybody. What happened to me will happen to you.” 

“Honestly, my feelings should not have been a surprise. But because of what I know about Tim Walz, because of the tyrant that I know he is. He’s wrecked so many lives in the state of Minnesota. He’s not done wrecking lives. He’s going to continue to wreck lives,” Hanson said. “I don’t use that word loosely, ‘evil.’ But the evil person that he is, it’s no wonder that the evil Harris picked him to be her running mate.” 

“Tim Walz has accomplished a lot of horrific things in the state of Minnesota in a very short amount of time,” she said. 

“My family has paid a dear price. While I was in jail, I missed out on Christmas with my family, I missed out on my wedding anniversary, and I also missed out on the birth of one of my grandchildren,” Hanson said. “I can never have that time back. That time was stolen from me. My business was destroyed. My business is gone. After everything that happened, Tim Walz and Keith Ellison destroyed my business. They wrecked my life.” 

“I’ve heard some people say that Tim Walz is a real nice guy. Yeah, well he’s not. Take my word for it,” Hanson said. “Through this whole process, I’ve gotten to know other people. Similar things have happened to them when they were trying to run their business and survive. Mostly women, by the way. So Tim Walz and … Keith Ellison really like to go after women. They’re bullies.”

RULED BY BULLIES

“They’re bullies. And they like to go after women and torment and destroy women’s lives. This is what they have done in the state of Minnesota. So let America know you do not want Tim Walz as vice president. You do not want tyranny at this level,” she continued. “I have seen firsthand. We, the people of Minnesota, have seen what Tim Walz, the type of evil he orchestrates if he is elected as vice president of this country. He, in lockstep with [Kamala] Harris, who is also evil, will perpetuate this same type of evil on the American people. We do not want that. So this is the truth about Tim Walz.”

“I would like to see Tim Walz impeached. I would like to see him prosecuted for the crimes he has committed against the people of Minnesota,” Hanson said. 

Regarding the massive riots after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Hanson asked, “Where was our governor? Where was our governor when there was the looting and the burning down? A fellow business owner — their businesses being burned down. Where was our governor?” 

“I have not been to Minneapolis since that took place,” Hanson said. “I don’t need to go up there. I’ve seen what Tim Walz allowed to happen to Minneapolis, St Paul, Minnesota. That man is a wrecking machine. He needs to be stopped.” 

The tyranny under Governor Walz escalated after Democrats took control of the State Senate. Since Dems already owned the State House of Representatives, Walz has signed numerous bills to harm families & small businesses, and diminish Americans’ civil rights. Those will be topics for future articles.

Mrs. Hanson and her family fled to another state which she declined to name.