Dear Neighbors, This past election, Minnesotans voted for equal numbers of Democratic and Republican state representatives. A 67-67 tie in the 134-member Minnesota House of Representatives is extremely rare, but I do hold the belief we can still get work done for Minnesota. Since the election, I have been planning, meeting with stakeholders, and preparing our state to protect our communities from an incoming federal administration and ensuring every Minnesotan is represented. You may have heard about the tumultuous start to session yesterday– I want to take the time to explain the situation and why my DFL colleagues and I are working to protect the integrity of our institution and the will of Minnesota voters. Since November, DFL and GOP leadership have been working to hammer out a structure to govern the House together. Committees and committee co-chairs had been agreed upon and announced, and plans for a co-Speaker arrangement were being worked out. Unfortunately, House Republicans walked away from power-sharing negotiations and have been attempting to engage in an illegitimate power grab. Make no mistake, if Republicans succeed, they will attempt to repeal much of the progress we made over the past two years, including programs that benefit working families, reproductive rights and healthcare, environmental protections, and more. In late December, a judge ruled that a member-elect was not eligible to take office, and a special election is set for January 28th. This vacancy means Republicans will have a one-seat plurality for two weeks until a special election in a blue district will likely return the legislature back to a tie. A majority in the Minnesota House is 68 members and this vacancy doesn’t change that. On the first day of session, in accordance with Minnesota law, Secretary of State Simon acted as the lawful presiding officer (and continues to be the lawful presiding officer until the House is duly organized). Simon declared that 67 members were present, a quorum was not met, then adjourned the session for the day. Republicans then held a sham session. That “session” is not legitimate, and the DFL filed a lawsuit, which we expect the Supreme Court will side with us on. You can watch our press conference outlining that lawsuit here. House Republicans also made clear that they intend to use this illegitimate power grab to unseat Rep. Brad Tabke of Shakopee (district 54A), a duly elected DFL state representative. They have made it clear that they will not seat Tabke and will order a special election, regardless of the fact that he won, and a judge has affirmed his victory. This would in effect disenfranchise 21,980 voters who cast their ballots in the November election. That is outrageous and has never been done in Minnesota history. House Republicans are committed to overturning the will of the voters, and disregarding the constitution of the State of Minnesota, something that has never happened in the history of our state. But they will not succeed. It is our solemn responsibility to uphold the law, protect our constitution, and recognize the will of the voters. In this time, I am committed to doing all in my power to do just that. I will join my DFL colleagues in a pledge to deny quorum and not attend floor sessions to prevent the GOP from throwing out an election and moving forward with an illegitimate, harmful agenda. However, I will still be hard at work in our community meeting with constituents, community leaders, and folks from around the state. This is a challenging moment for democracy in our state, but I remain hopeful that we can get this matter settled quickly. I look forward to returning to the Capitol when Republicans agree to a good faith power sharing agreement that upholds the will of all voters in Minnesota. Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at rep.samantha.sencer-mura@house.mn.gov or 651-297-7087. You can also follow my Facebook page. In community, Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura Minnesota House of Representatives |