Dear Neighbors,
As you may know, the house is in a historic conflict that is quite complicated and involves various rules and statutes that are convoluted. Put simply, the House Republicans are using a temporary plurality (meaning the most votes, but not a majority) to try to unseat a fairly elected DFL Representative, despite a district court ruling that he won unequivocally. This is an unacceptable attempt to grab power and overturn the will of the voters. That is why I – along with my DFL colleagues – have chosen to deny quorum (a term which means the amount of legislators needed to govern legitimately,) until the GOP agrees to seat our duly elected colleague and govern with equal power, as is appropriate in a soon to be tied House following the special election in 40B.
Republicans have plowed ahead anyway, continuing to pretend they are governing without us, even though it violates the state constitution. Even going so far as to unilaterally enrich one of their members using public dollars. Luckily, the Minnesota Supreme Court will make a conclusive decision next week, setting the record straight and clearing the way for a fair, legal, and binding power-sharing agreement between the two parties. None of this is fun, none of this is what you deserve as constituents, but there are certain democratic principles that must be maintained to preserve our democracy.
In the meantime, I am hard at work representing you and our community. The work of a legislator goes beyond the bounds of the Capitol and it is my job to represent you no matter the circumstances.
Representing You
Thank you to VEAP for the site visit. They are doing important work around food security. I look forward to working on legislation that feeds more families this year. Learn more about the important work they do here.
I met with the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation to discuss workers rights and met with Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski to plan how I can support local projects this year. I'm keeping full and busy days to make sure our community's needs are being met while we negotiate a power sharing agreement which respects free and fair elections.
On Thursday, I met with the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters to discuss the services their training center provides and how the Legislature can support strong, well-paying union jobs.
Then I met with constituents in Scandia to talk about local projects, transition in their mayoral position, and ensuring the GOP respects the constitution. Visiting with constituents is one of the best parts of my job, if you have anything I could help with, don't hesitate to reach out.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.josiah.hill@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-4124. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Josiah Hill, District 33B
415 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155