Minnesota House GOP members were the only members present in the house chamber for the official start of the 2025 session on Tuesday.
Because only 67 members were seated, Secretary of State Steve Simon declared there were not enough members to hold quorum and adjourned the opening day’s meeting, but Republicans decided to power forward and elected Republican Lisa Demuth as House Speaker.
The Democrats boycotted the first day because of a lack of a power sharing agreement because of a tie in the number of members from each side. DFL House Speaker-Designate Melissa Hortman says the GOP has also not recognized Representative Brad Tabke as the winner in District 54A, even after a judge ruled in favor of Tabke as the victor…
“We had to deny quorum to demonstrate the true legal reality they cannot even convene the Minnesota House of Representatives without partisan collaboration.”
Republican-elected House Speaker Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring says the GOP is beginning the business of the legislative session with, or without the DFL…
“The Minnesota people are counting on us today. Not for partisan victories or political theater but for real results that improve their daily lives. They expect safer communities. They expect strong schools. Minnesotans expect and deserve economic opportunities.”
Secretary of State Steve Simon plans to petition the Supreme Court after the Minnesota House Republicans action, but Hamline University Professor David Schultz says the question might come down to, does the Minnesota Supreme Court want to weigh in on this issue?
“Generally the rule is that the Supreme Court, not just in Minnesota but across the country, does not want to interfere in internal matters regarding the legislature. On the other hand, this is a question of significant importance.”
Schultz says all the legal questions are likely very confusing for many Minnesotans…
“Are really sort of masking the real issue here which is about power politics. That both sides are playing winner-take-all politics and using the law and really holding the legislative session hostage for their own purposes.”
If nothing changes, the House GOP will have a one-vote majority for at least a couple weeks, but it’s unclear if any action passed in that time will stand.
All of the lawmakers of the Minnesota House that represent the Wright County area are members of the House GOP caucus.
