Dear Neighbors, As I begin my first term representing our district, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for entrusting me with the honor and privilege of carrying your voice. This responsibility is one I do not take lightly, and I am committed to delivering results for our district, our city, and the entire state of Minnesota. On November 5th, voters across Minnesota delivered a historic outcome - a rare 67-67 tie in the House of Representatives, something that has only occurred once before, in 1979. While unusual, this result did not surprise me. It reflects what I heard from so many of you during the campaign: “Figure out how to work together.” I took this to heart and pledged to prioritize collaboration and cooperation while standing firm in our shared values. While, of course, I would have preferred our party to hold the majority, I became increasingly optimistic about the opportunity a tied House presents. It has the potential to strip away partisan rhetoric, revealing who is genuinely willing to find common ground - not just talk about it. I was ready to embrace this challenge and get to work. With the historic tie, I knew the first day of session would be a bit different, but I had no idea how different. The candidate elected in District 40B was determined not to meet the residency requirement to serve, leaving that seat vacant and giving Republicans a temporary 67-66 advantage until the January 28th special election. After two months of negotiating a power-sharing agreement, Republicans have chosen to abandon that agreement in an attempt to seize control of the House for the next two years. This blatant power grab disenfranchises not only the voters of District 40B - who currently lack representation at the Capitol - but also the 21,980 voters in District 54A, who narrowly elected Democrat Brad Tabke. Even after a judge ruled that, “there is no basis in fact or law for holding a special election,” Republican leadership has not committed to backing away from their announced plans to unseat Rep. Tabke, disregarding the will of those voters in favor of their own political agenda. A tied House is rare. But such an unprecedented move to disregard voters' voices is unheard of. In an effort to have an agreement in place at the start of session, DFL leadership offered a plan that would give Republicans full control of the House until the winner of the special election is seated on February 3rd. If they agreed to seat duly elected Rep. Brad Tabke and that if after the people of District 40B have voted and are represented there is again a tie, the original power sharing agreement would be honored. This is a reasonable and fair offer that would honor the will of all Minnesota voters. Unfortunately, the Republicans turned down that offer and instead choose to move forward in their effort to claim power in violation to the Minnesota Constitution and statute, leaving Democrats will have one option: to deny quorum until the special election is held or an agreement that protects the will of the voters is agreed upon. If the voters of District 40B elect a Democrat, we all should expect Republicans to honor the original power-sharing agreement. If the voters elect a Republican, we will respect that outcome and do the work of the minority party. If denying quorum is the only way to uphold the will of voters and protect two districts from being silenced, then so be it. You will hear Republicans feverishly claim that Democrats are “not showing up for work.” But the truth is the exact opposite. Honoring the will of voters is our work. During the next few weeks, Democrats will continue drafting bills, addressing constituents’ needs, answering calls and emails, getting updates from different state agencies, and serving Minnesota as we were elected to do. In light of that ongoing work, waiting two weeks for all Minnesotans to be represented does not seem that unreasonable. After being elected, I did not wait until January 14th to get to work. In fact, I’ve already had a head start of meeting with constituents and talking to Minnesotans about the issues that matter most to them. Top of mind for me is how we can best support our children, which is why some of my first meetings were with the Duluth Public School Board and Superintendent, the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland, and the Duluth Children’s Museum. There is no work greater than building a better Minnesota for the next generation, and I’m grateful to all the fantastic folks at these amazing institutions and organizations for the work that they do. |