Neighbors, On Friday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that House Republicans violated our state constitution when they seized the house and appointed their own Speaker and committees. Minnesota voters chose an equal number of Democrats and Republicans at the ballot box, but instead of respecting your will, House Republicans tried to seize power through the back door. They are also trying to silence the voice of 22,000 Shakopee voters by blocking their chosen representative, Rep Brad Tabke, from taking his rightful seat. Rep. Tabke won on election night, won the recount, and won in court. Still, Republicans plan to block him from taking his seat in the House in an effort to accomplish their extreme agenda - attacking reproductive rights, killing paid family leave, blocking climate action, and even ending free school meals for our kids. Refusing to seat a duly elected legislator has never happened before in Minnesota when a representative has done nothing wrong, and it would set a dangerous precedent of unfounded election contests. Republicans currently have a temporary one-seat advantage. But instead of treating it as temporary, they want to keep control for two years, even after we're back to an evenly divided House. Our solution is straightforward: Republicans can lead while they have this temporary advantage, but once we're back to equal numbers (67-67), we move to a co-governance agreement. Democrats are waiting for Republicans to return to the negotiating table to get this done. While all this gets sorted out, I'm still working hard for our community. This week, I met with AFSCME members at Hennepin County Social Services, visited a manufactured home community in Blaine, met with teachers from the SEA school in Golden Valley, and more.  The message from voters was clear - they want Democrats and Republicans to work together. We're ready to negotiate a fair agreement whenever Republicans are willing to come back to the table. |