Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, says there’s no need for power sharing with Democrats at a news conference announcing their agenda on Jan. 6, 2024. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer.
Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, proudly introduced herself as the House speaker designate at a news conference on Monday, saying there’s no longer need for a power-sharing agreement after a newly elected Democrat resigned his seat for not meeting the residency requirement.
“There is not equal power in the state of Minnesota. There (are) 67 Republicans, 66 Democrats,” Demuth said. “That gives us an organizational majority that we fully intend to exercise.”
Democratic House leader Melissa Hortman of Brooklyn Park said at a later news conference that without a power-sharing agreement, her caucus would “strike” and deny Republicans a quorum until a special election is held to fill the seat resigned by Curtis Johnson, whom a judge ruled did not meet the residency requirement. Another Democrat is expected to prevail in the special election in House District 40B in suburban Roseville scheduled for later this month, returning the balance of power to 67-67.
“If there is no power sharing agreement, we will not be there,” Hortman said. “We’re not going to show up and have them illegitimately seize power.”
At stake is more than just the speaker’s gavel and power to assign committee chairs.
Democrats say they’d be striking to protect the will of the voters because Republicans signaled they will not seat Democratic Rep.-elect Brad Tabke, whose victory in House District 54A is currently before a state district court judge.
Tabke won the suburban Shakopee seat by 14 votes but 20 ballots were wrongfully thrown out before being counted. Six of the 20 voters whose ballots whose ballots are believed to be lost testified that they voted for Tabke, increasing his margin of victory.
A new election would give Republicans a second chance to win a real majority with the 68 votes needed to pass bills off the floor assuming they remain a unified bloc. Even if they manage to take control of the House, they’d still need to negotiate with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and a Democratic majority in the Senate, pending a special election in that body.
Hortman said 68 Republican votes in the House is out of the question and she was confident Tabke would be seated.
“We believe that he will be seated and part of the reason that we’re willing to walk the picket line is to ensure that happens,” Hortman said.
Hortman said she is confident Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who serves as the presiding officer on the first day of the legislative session, will determine that 67 members isn’t enough for a quorum if Democrats don’t show up. A spokeswoman for the secretary of state said in an email that he is “consulting with nonpartisan staff and legal counsel to review relevant house rules, statute, case law, and precedent.”
Without a quorum, the House won’t be able to elect a speaker or even “turn on the lights,” Hortman said.
Republicans floated the possibility that House Democrats could be subject to recall elections for failing to execute their duties if they go forward with the gambit.
Democrats said they would still be working — and collecting their salaries — during a potential “strike” by meeting with constituents in their districts.
Gov. Tim Walz called the special election for Jan. 28, but Minnesota Republicans filed a lawsuit challenging the tight timeline. If successful, a blockade by House Democrats could have to be extended beyond January.
The legislative session isn’t scheduled to start until Jan. 14, leaving plenty of time for negotiations behind the scenes to avert the showdown threatening to shut down the House and surely attract national media attention.