Lisa Hanson, a former owner of The Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro in Albert Lea, Minnesota, was sentenced to 90 days in jail for defying Covid-19 lockdown orders imposed by then-Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential pick. Hanson, a mother of eight and grandmother of 18, recently shared her experience in an interview with Fox News, expressing that Walz’s actions “shut down and destroyed” her small business, adding that Americans “do not want tyranny at this level.”
Hanson’s bistro, located about 90 miles south of Minneapolis, had been successfully operating for eight years before the pandemic struck. Initially, Hanson complied with the March 2020 lockdown orders. However, as liquor stores, strip clubs, and big box stores were allowed to remain open as “essential,” Hanson began to question the fairness of the restrictions.
“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. “In contrast, he allowed big box stores, etc., to stay open. It was an incredible display of tyranny against the people.”
In defiance of the lockdown orders, Hanson reopened her bistro multiple times between December 2020 and January 2021. This led to her conviction in December 2021 on misdemeanor charges, resulting in a 90-day jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. She ultimately served 60 days in jail.
“This is the story that America needs to hear,” Hanson said, emphasizing that Tim Walz is not the “cuddly, joyful coach” portrayed by mainstream media. “This man would like to take your rights away. He will take your rights away. What happened to me could have happened to anybody. What happened to me will happen to you.”
Hanson also shared the personal toll the ordeal had on her and her family. “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,” she 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.”