Minnesota House Gets to Work As GOP, DFL Leaders Strike Deal

Party leaders in the Minnesota House of Representatives have struck a power-sharing deal, bringing boycotting DFLers back to the chamber on Thursday.

Democrats have stayed away from the proceedings since Jan. 14. 

Republicans will control the body for about a month with a narrow one-seat lead. However, a March 11 special election for the Roseville-area District 40B seat could tie the parties at 67-67.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that the House needs 68 members for a quorum 

Regardless of the special election results, Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) will be speaker of the House for the next two years.

She’s the first person of color and the first Republican woman to hold the position.

As the session gets underway, Republicans will chair the House’s committees.

That changes if the special election results in a tie. In that case, each party will have a co-chair.

Party leaders on both sides of the aisle committed to finishing the state’s work by the end of the regularly scheduled session.

“The thing that we have discussed is our shared interest in passing a balanced budget within the regular session,” said DFL caucus leader Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park). “Nobody wants a special session. Nobody wants a government shutdown. They’re very suspicious of us, we’re very suspicious of them.”

One committee was exempted in the agreement from the co-chair agreement — the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee. Chaired by Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins of Maple Grove, the committee will have a 5-3 Republican advantage.

Brad Tabke, a DFLer from Shakopee who won a 14-vote victory that has been upheld by the courts, will also be seated. In that election, 20 ballots were tossed away without being counted.

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