ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – As the Minnesota Legislature prepared for its 2025 session, tensions escalated between House Democrats and Republicans over control of the chamber. Democrats were considering a boycott of the opening day, aiming to prevent Republicans from leveraging a temporary majority to push through their legislative agenda. The situation became more complicated with a recent court ruling that directly impacted the balance of power.
Early on the session’s opening day, a judge dismissed a Republican attempt to force a special election concerning a tight race won by Democratic incumbent Representative Brad Tabke of Shakopee, who succeeded by a mere 14 votes. Republicans had threatened to use their temporary power to refuse to seat Tabke, potentially further deepening the partisan divide in the House. Following the November elections, the legislative chamber had come out deadlocked at 67-67. A special election, set for January 28, held the potential to restore the tie.
The House's dynamics shifted recently due to a court ruling that disqualified a newly elected Democrat from representing a heavily Democratic district, which gave the Republicans a slight 67-66 edge. Amid these developments, House leaders from both parties, including Democratic former Speaker Melissa Hortman and Republican former Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, engaged in discussions in hopes of establishing a power-sharing agreement before their scheduled floor session.
Hortman proposed a temporary agreement that would allow Demuth to assume the speakership while reverting back to their original deal after the special election. She expressed frustration at the Republicans’ attempt to capitalize on their narrow power to potentially exclude newly elected members and push their agenda for the next two years. In a statement, Hortman deemed it "outrageous" that such tactics were being employed to gain overall control.
Demuth, for her part, indicated that she was open to negotiations but refrained from fully endorsing Hortman’s proposal. Under the current Minnesota law, the Secretary of State convenes the House session at the start, announces the presence of a quorum, and officially hands over the gavel to the elected speaker. Typically, this is a mere formality. However, the situation in the House was anything but ordinary.
Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon clarified that a quorum of 68 members is necessary for the House to properly function, implying that without the attendance of at least 68 lawmakers, the session could not proceed beyond attendance-taking and adjournment. He emphasized that he would continue to call the House to order daily until the quorum was achieved. Republicans, however, contested this interpretation, arguing that with one vacancy due to a pending seat, only 67 members were required to form a quorum. This disagreement hinted at a potential procedural conflict as Republicans threatened to proceed without the Democratic presence, potentially instigating a significant standoff in the House.
This situation was particularly notable as it would mark the first recorded boycott in the Minnesota Legislature's history, a tactic that had been previously utilized in other states. Instances of similar legislative standoffs occurred in Wisconsin, where Democrats famously hid in 2011 to oppose Republican initiatives regarding union rights, and in Oregon, where Republicans staged multiple walkouts over contentious bills in recent years.
In contrast, the Senate, also facing a tied situation at 33-33, appeared more stable as leaders from both sides had already reached a power-sharing agreement, further diminishing the drama unfolding in the House. Senate Democrats anticipated regaining a slight majority after the special election. The contrasting dynamics between the House and Senate underscored the challenges within the Minnesota Legislature as leaders engaged in high-stakes negotiations to establish governance moving forward in what promises to be a highly contentious session.
