A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for southern Minnesota until 10 p.m. Elsewhere it will be mostly cloudy, with showers and thunderstorms likely. Lows will be in the 40s northeast to the upper 50s southwest. Wednesday will be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60s to mid-70s. Find the latest on Updraft.

The head of Minnesota’s top environmental agency has stepped down, in the face of a likely ouster by Senate Republicans in the legislature. 

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency commissioner Laura Bishop submitted her resignation this afternoon, following a long-running battle between the Walz administration and GOP lawmakers over stricter vehicle emission standards scheduled to take effect in 2023 — opposed by many Republicans and vehicle dealers. 

Bishop was facing a likely vote to deny her confirmation in the days ahead. 

She told MPR News in an interview today that her agency and the Walz administration had long been at odds with Republicans, who she said resisted any mention of climate change, environmental justice or equity in legislation. 

Bishop said she stepped down before a likely hostile Senate hearing. 

The Senate has authority to confirm or remove commissioners and many other appointees. It’s rare that lawmakers fire a commissioner, but two others were struck last year, and the state’s housing finance commissioner, Jennifer Ho, also faced a difficult hearing in the state Senate today. 

Republican Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka said he and his colleagues considered their action a reflection of the job performance by commissioners over which they have approval authority. 

Gov. Tim Walz issued a statement saying, quote, "For all Minnesotans who believe in science, who believe in climate change, this is a loss.” 

There’s no weekend data from the Minnesota Department of Health because of the holiday weekend, but COVID-19 cases have been ticking up slightly over the last several reports, averaging over 100 a day again for the first time in a week.  

First and single vaccine doses also set another new low in the latest data, averaging less than 3,300 last week for the first time ever.