Proposed House rules changes would ax per diem pay for absent members

Lawmakers won’t receive per diem on days they’re absent from a floor session under a proposed House rule.

It is included in a permanent rules package approved, as amended, Thursday without discussion by the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee at a brief meeting.

House Majority Leader Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) said a floor vote will occur Monday.

The proposed House rules would also establish a process for election challenges, require the House Journal to include whether a member voting remotely is doing so for health-related or safety-related reasons, eliminate the fiscal calendar, and clarify germaneness.

The rules package comes as DFL members have stayed away from the Capitol for a second week in a power-sharing dispute and Republicans are moving ahead with business as usual.

Republicans currently have a 67-66 advantage in the House and a special election is pending in District 40B, where the DFL candidate won by more than 30% in November. DFL leadership has asked Republicans to agree to share power after the special election and have said they’ll continue to remain absent from the Capitol to prevent a quorum until there’s an agreement. The Minnesota Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments later Thursday in the lawsuit over Republicans’ argument that 67 members, not 68, is a quorum.

DFLers have also said they’re concerned that Republicans will refuse to seat Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee), who won District 54A by 14 votes in November but there was a loss of 20 absentee ballots in the race. A district court judge ruled earlier this month that Tabke’s win stands.