Walz signs bipartisan lake weed removal safety bill into law after deaths of 2 young men
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday signed into law a bill designed to protect employees of lake weed removal businesses after two young men drowned on the job.
The bipartisan Brady Aune and Joseph Anderson Safety Act, named for those men, requires divers be scuba certified and trained in first aid and CPR, mandates certain equipment and requires employers to provide it and calls for a standby diver.
Aune and Anderson died on the clock two years apart, working similar jobs at different companies.
"Brady and Joseph were two remarkable young men whose tragic, preventable deaths are a stark reminder that workplace safety cannot be an afterthought," Walz said. "With this bipartisan legislation, we're preventing future tragedies and making Minnesota a safer place to work. I applaud the strength, courage, and dedication of the families who have tirelessly advocated to ensure every Minnesotan who goes to work returns home safely."
The bill was supported by the Aune and Anderson families, who told lawmakers of the necessity of new safety measures.
"Please, please pass this bill to prevent this living hell from occurring again to another family," David Anderson, Joseph Anderson's father, said in March.
The Minnesota division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined both companies for violations after the deaths of Aune and Joseph Anderson.
Note: The video above originally aired March 11, 2025.
