MN Lawmakers Playing Game of ‘Winner Take All Politics’: Expert
Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session begins on Jan. 14, but there’s a strong possibility that DFL lawmakers in the House won’t be there.
The no-show scenario was proposed by House DFL leader Melissa Hortman of Brooklyn Park earlier this week.
The move would deprive Republicans of a quorum needed to pass bills. But at least one local lawmaker was cautiously optimistic that leaders from both parties will be able to resolve their differences.
“I mean, my expectation is I’ll be coming into session next week,” said Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley. “You know, we do have this out there as a possibility in the events the GOP continues to refuse to negotiate, but my hope and expectation is that we’ll be there next week.”
Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, is optimistic that House Democrats will show up for work on the first day of the 2025 session.
Republicans currently have a 67 to 66 lead in the House, but that’s expected to change when a special election in the Roseville-area takes place on Jan. 28, a seat likely to go DFL.
Until that happens, Freiberg says the Republicans shouldn’t be able to set terms for the whole session during the two-week window when they have a one-seat plurality.
For instance, Freiberg says the Republicans are threatening to unseat DFL Representative Brad Tabke of Shakopee. He won his seat by 14 votes. However, his victory was challenged in court due to 20 absentee ballots cast by Shakopee voters that went missing.
“The evidence from the court proceeding there showed that mathematically, he won. But Republicans are threatening to use not a majority but a plurality to not seat him, disenfranchising the voters of Shakopee,” Freiberg added. “I think if it comes to [not showing up at the start of session], people will be on our side. I’ve heard supportive things from constituents about it.”
‘Not a viable strategy’
Political expert David Schultz says both parties are playing a game of ‘winner take all politics.’
“And that’s really not a viable strategy at this point, because by the time the session ends, unless something completely surprises us, it’s going to be 67-67,” said Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University. “By the time the session ends, they’re going to have to pass a budget. They’re going to have to have 68 votes to pass legislation. At some point, the two parties have to figure out how to work together with one another, and all of this is suggesting that right now, the two parties cannot work together with one another.”
Representative Freiberg says a power-sharing agreement could take the form of having co-committee chairs and co-speakers for the upcoming session.
Meanwhile, Republican Representative Kristin Robbins of Maple Grove issued the following statement in response to the possibility that House DFLers may not show up for the first two weeks of the 2025 session:
“Every elected member of the House of Representatives has a constitutional responsibility to their constituents and to the State of Minnesota to show up at the Capitol on the first day of the Legislative Session to be sworn in and organize the House so we can do the job the voters elected us to do. I hope and expect my Democrat colleagues will show up and do their constitutional duty. If they fail to attend and impede the work of the House, they should forfeit all compensation – salary and benefits – without back pay until they return to work. Taxpayers should not be paying elected officials who shirk their responsibilities.” – Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove
Related: Hortman: House DFL Members Will Not Report If No Power-Sharing Deal
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