ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature is gearing up for a turbulent commencement on Tuesday as House Democrats may stage a boycott of the opening day. Concurrently, House Republicans have issued threats to initiate recall efforts against lawmakers who do not attend the session.
This fierce struggle for power is a notable departure from Minnesota’s tradition of relatively clean political practices. Tensions have heightened after a period when Democrats, under the leadership of Governor Tim Walz, gained full control of the legislature in 2023 and 2024, sidelining Republican influence.
After the recent elections, the House found itself evenly divided at 67-67, prompting leaders from both parties to negotiate a power-sharing agreement that would function under the assumption of a tied chamber. However, a recent court ruling revealed that a newly elected Democrat was inaccurately listed as a resident of his district. As a result, the Republicans currently hold a slim 67-66 majority, pending a special election in a heavily Democratic area in two weeks, which is expected to return the chamber to a tie.
Despite being in the minority, House Republicans have announced their intention to operate as if they possess an “organizational majority” on opening day. Their agenda includes electing Lisa Demuth from Cold Spring as speaker for two years, appointing committee chairs, and addressing the issue of government program fraud. Additionally, they have threatened to block the seating of Brad Tabke, a Democrat who won by a narrow margin of 14 votes, pending the outcome of a court decision regarding this race, marred by the disappearance of 20 ballots.
In response, House Democrats, led by former speaker Melissa Hortman of Brooklyn Park, are dismissing the situation as a blatant GOP power grab. They are signaling their intention not to attend the session, contending that their absence would prevent a quorum. During a secret swearing-in ceremony for their membership on Sunday, they aimed to complicate any attempts by Republicans to deny anyone’s seat.
Hortman expressed outrage at what she described as an attempt to manipulate their slight majority and called it a disregard for voters’ intentions. She conveyed her plan to meet with Demuth later in the day to propose a compromise that would allow Republicans to elect Demuth as speaker while restoring the previous agreement after the special election. A critical condition for this proposal would include dropping the threat to withhold Tabke’s seating.
In a later interview, Demuth remained non-committal about accepting such a proposal, while also indicating her willingness to discuss it further.
If House Democrats follow through with their boycott, it would mark a first for Minnesota, though similar legislative standoffs have occurred in other states. For instance, Wisconsin Democrats famously evaded the Capitol to protest Republican legislation regarding public sector union protections in 2011, while Oregon Republicans have executed several walkouts over contentious issues such as abortion and gun rights in recent years.
In contrast, the state Senate appears on track for a smoother session, anticipating a resumption of a 34-33 Democratic majority following a special election later this month to fill a vacancy. Unlike the situation in the House, Senate leaders from both parties successfully brokered a consensus on power-sharing without public discord.
According to Minnesota law, the Secretary of State plays a crucial role in opening the House session, determining quorum presence and facilitating the election of a speaker. Typically, this process is straightforward but has become complicated this time around.
Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon has clarified that, based on his understanding of state law and House rules, a quorum of 68 members is required. Republicans contend that with one vacant seat, the quorum should only be 67. Simon has stated that he cannot proceed with further activities until 68 lawmakers are present and noted that he will reconvene the House daily until a quorum is reached and normal proceedings can resume.
Republican leaders have made it clear they aim to pursue recall actions against absent Democratic representatives if they do not attend Tuesday’s roll call—a challenging maneuver that necessitates approval from the state Supreme Court.
“Our commitment is to ensure accountability for every legislator,” asserted GOP Chairman Alex Plechash during a press interaction. “If lawmakers fail to fulfill their duties, they shouldn’t retain their positions.”
