The first day of the 2025 legislative session, the 94th congress of the state of Minnesota, was met with a half-empty House of Representatives as House Democrats boycotted the session in order to …
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The first day of the 2025 legislative session, the 94th legistature of the state of Minnesota, was met with a half-empty House of Representatives as House Democrats boycotted the session in order to deny Republicans a quorum. Despite the tactic being upheld by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, Republicans moved forward anyway electing Representative Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) Speaker of the House and continuing with regular business even without their DFL counterparts.
Even before being called to order in the House of Representatives Tuesday afternoon, there was a stark divide between the vacant DFL seats and the bustle of GOP Representatives, their families, staff, and guests.
“You are making a mark here today that no one can ever take away from you. All of you, both new and returning, should be proud of this day,” said Simon after rising to speak behind the dais. Then Rep. Peggy Scott (R-Andover) called roll. Half of all names called went unanswered.
To that end, Simon found the body lacking a quorum with only 67 members present and therefore it could not convene. The 134-member body has a 68-member quorum. With the seat representing district 40B vacated by Curtis Johnson after a judge found him ineligible for office due to residency requirements, Republicans are arguing that the currently 133-member House’s quorum has also been lowered by one member to 67, thus giving them quorum.
Even before Simon left the dais, Rep. Harry Niska stood before the chamber to dispute the lack of quorum:
“As you can see, the DFL caucus has violated the law for the express purpose of preventing the House from organizing and beginning its work. The Secretary of State is not a member of the legislative branch and has no constitutional authority over the House of Representatives. The constitutional authority to determine the rules of its proceedings and elect its presiding officer lie solely with the house.”
Rep. Niska asked that Simon be removed from the chamber so that Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) could preside over the chamber as the oldest remaining member. The first order of business was to unanimously (of the attending members) elect Rep. Demuth Speaker of the House.
“The Minnesotan people are counting on us today, not for partisan victories or for political theatre, but for real results that improve their daily lives,” said Demuth, citing the need for safer communities, strong schools and economic opportunities as well as “a government that works efficiently and effectively.”
Even before the session ended, DFLers were calling the session a “sham,” due to lack of quorum. That same day the House DFL “filed a lawsuit asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to declare that Republicans acted unlawfully when they purported to organize the Minnesota House, elect a Speaker, and took other actions in the absence of a quorum,” said a Minnesota House of Representatives press release.
While Niska and Demuth insisted that the session was legitimate, Niska said he would abide by a court’s ruling on the organizing of the house: “The courts are going to stand up for that because they are respecting the constitution.”
Unlike the Minnesota Senate, which convened without issue under a power-sharing agreement, discussions over the power sharing agreement in the House broke down Monday night and even into Tuesday morning due to “unreasonableness” of the DFL’s requests, according to Demuth. “Right now, we are not in a tie. After the voters in the Roseville seat choose to send their choice back to the House of Representatives—whoever that might be—then we can reengage in tied conversations,” said Demuth.
On Thursday, Jan. 16, DFL Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman released the rejected power-sharing agreement which laid out Republicans controlling the chamber for the first three weeks including electing Demuth speaker and for “Republicans [to] chair all committee hearings, retain existing committees, retain [the] ‘majority of all appointed members of a committee’ required for committee action but one DFL member will be non-voting,” according to the agreement.
In the following days the chamber remained half empty as House DFL continued to boycott the proceedings including the convening of various committees and further floor sessions throughout the week.
It is unclear just how long it will take to receiving a ruling on the case filed against House Republicans who maintain that the process is legitimate and that they, unlike the absent DFL, are doing the work of the Minnesota public in the chamber.
“Unfortunately, the other side of the aisle tried to delay work for our communities by refusing to show up,” said Rep. Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove).
According to the case filed by the House DFL:
“On Jan. 14, 2025, the Minnesota House of Representatives convened with only 67 members—less than the quorum needed to conduct business and elect a Speaker. Because there was no quorum, Secretary of State Steve Simon, who was presiding in accordance with Minnesota law, adjourned the House. Notwithstanding the lack of the quorum and the adjournment, the Republican members of the House, in blatant disregard of the Minnesota Constitution, unlawfully purported to, among other things, nominate a new presiding officer, declared the presence of a quorum, and purported to elect Respondent Demuth as Speaker of the House of Representatives. These ultra vires actions were improper, unlawful, and without legal effect, and must be declared null and void by this Court.”
Opening arguments for the case are scheduled for Jan. 23.