An increasingly bitter feud has cast doubt over control of the Minnesota House and whether the chamber will be able to govern this session, with leaders divided over moving forward with a power-sharing agreement.
“There is no longer a tie in the state of Minnesota,” Republican House Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth said at a press conference Monday. “Democrats will be coming in with 66 members. What that does is that gives us an organizational majority [and] we fully intend to exercise that right.”
In a separate press conference, Democratic House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman said Democrats do not plan to attend the session, which begins on Jan. 14, unless Republicans agree to share power. The move would deny the GOP a quorum and prevent them from doing any work. Hortman said Democrats would also explore other parliamentary tactics, including filibusters.
“What the Republicans are engaged in is an illegitimate power grab, and we’re not going to stand by and just let them do it,” Hortman said. “Democrats are prepared to use all of the parliamentary tactics available to us in the absence of a power-sharing agreement on the first day of session.”
The dispute emerged after the Republican who lost a race for District 40B northeast of Minneapolis sued over a residency issue with the winning Democrat. A judge ruled in favor of the Republican, and the Democrat resigned, leaving Democrats with 66 members and Republicans with 67 — after they’d worked out a power-sharing agreement.
Gov. Tim Walz (D) called a special election to fill the seat on Jan. 28, when Democrats would be favored to bring the chamber back into a tie. But Republicans moved to scrap the power-sharing agreement.
Hortman, who said Walz supports Democrats’ plans, said the court ruling changes nothing and that voters elected a tie, which is how the House should be organized and governed.
She also said that while Republicans have a one-vote advantage, that does not constitute a majority. Hortman cited provisions of the Minnesota Constitution that state that the House has 134 members and that a quorum is defined as 68. The same number is also needed to conduct business.
“The only thing they can do is come in, take attendance and leave,” Hortman said.
Demuth said Republicans would explore all efforts to force Democrats’ presence, including initiating recall elections for members who do not show up for work and possibly enlisting state law enforcement.
“Whatever opportunity is out there, if they choose to do this, we will explore it, and we will act,” Demuth said.
The Republican leader also questioned whether the power-sharing plan would have worked.
“It completely begs the question of whether or not a true power-sharing was going to work when we see that Democrats are refusing to potentially even come in to work,” Demuth said.
Among the items on the GOP’s agenda are reducing taxes and fees raised by Democrats during their two years in power, creating a committee to go after fraud within state government, and repealing the 1994 moratorium on new nuclear power projects in the state.
Demuth referenced two other lawsuits that could affect the House makeup.
In one, Rep. Brad Tabke (D) defeated challenger Aaron Paul (R) after a November recount by 14 votes. However, 20 ballots in the district 55A race were destroyed and never counted.
Tabke’s attorneys have argued, citing statistics and other evidence, that the 20 ballots would not change the outcome. A judge’s decision is expected imminently.
Demuth said there should be a special election to decide the race, leaving open the possibility that the House Republicans would refuse to seat Tabke.
The other involved the Minnesota GOP, which sued Walz over the timing of the Jan. 28 House special election. The GOP said Walz should have waited 22 days after the first day of the session to call the election.
The dispute in the House comes as the Minnesota Senate has found itself in a 33-33 tie after Sen. Kari Dziedzic’s (D) death last month. A special election for her seat has been set for Jan. 28.