Dear Neighbor, It is great to be back at the Capitol with the 2025 session now underway in St. Paul. There is much to do and no time to waste in addressing some major challenges in our state. House Republicans showed up ready to work on day one, but Democrats have been no shows since the start of session – now seven days and counting. Republicans pressed on, conducting business as usual, while Democrats stayed home and collected paychecks. Here’s a look at where we are and how we got here. End of the trifecta Democrats had full control of the House, Senate and Governor's office the last two years, but House Republicans ended their so-called trifecta last November. Curtis Johnson (DFL) HD40B cheated Republicans began this session with a 67-66 majority in the House after it was discovered, Curtis Johnson DFL, lied. He never actually lived in his district. This violated Minnesota’s election residency laws, so a judge disqualified him from being seated in the House. Pending the results of a special election in District 40B (Roseville/Shoreview) to fill that vacant seat, Republicans hold a 67-66 majority in the House and will function that way.  Walz broke the law Curtis Johnson "resigned" from a House seat he never held on Dec. 27, well before the legislative session was set to start Jan. 14. Later that same day, Gov. Walz declared District 40B vacant (which it was not), issued a writ and scheduled a rushed special election for Jan. 28 – with a Dec. 31 deadline for candidates to file. Let’s be crystal clear: Johnson cannot “resign” from an office he never held. He also could not resign from the seat “effective immediately” because it was occupied by sitting Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn at that time. So how could the governor declare the 40B seat vacant before it officially and legally became vacant? He can't. He broke the law by issuing the writ on Dec. 27. State statute clearly states the governor must wait 22 days after the first day of the legislative session to issue a writ to call a special election.  Court agrees Walz broke the law A lawsuit was filed to stop the illegal January 28 special election, and the court issued a ruling against Walz on Friday afternoon. It confirmed he violated the law by calling the 40B special election prematurely and called off the January 28 special session. House Republicans passed a resolution last week that would allow the Governor to issue a new writ immediately and in accordance with the Constitution. But he is refusing to recognize us, which means the people of 40B may be unrepresented for longer because of the Democrats’ refusal to show up for work. The House is duly organized; Simonson violated "Separation of Powers"   Above, I am joined by fellow Wright County House members Joe McDonald and Dawn Gillman on opening day. At right, 67 House Republicans and zero House Democrats light up the House Chamber board. All 67 House Republicans showed up at the Capitol to convene the House at noon on January 14 as prescribed by the Constitution. But, since all 66 House Democrats stayed home, Secretary of State Steve Simon (DFL) attempted to unilaterally declare a lack of quorum – even though 67 Republicans constitute a majority of the 133 elected members –and attempted to adjourn the floor session without allowing any motions or further business. Simon exceeded his constitutional authority because as an officer of the Executive Branch he is not a member of the Legislative Branch and cannot overrule the motions of the House's duly elected members. In fact, the framers of the Minnesota Constitution rejected both Steve Simon’s interpretation of what constitutes a quorum. On July 30, 1857, a delegate offered an amendment to adopt Sec. Simon’s view of the quorum requirement. It was opposed by another delegate because “this amendment if adopted, will allow a minority, by remaining out of either House, and refusing to be sworn in, to compel the attendance, and constantly perhaps, of all the other members—a case similar to what we saw at the commencement of this Convention.” House Republicans continue working  After Simon’s ruling was overturned by a majority vote of the members, House Republicans followed the constitutionally required business of organizing the House. We elected the first black woman Speaker of the House in state history, Rep. Lisa Demuth (being sworn-in at left). We passed the Rules of the House and Speaker Demuth assigned members to the duly formed committees. It is unfortunate that Democrats have not shown up for work. Personal responsibilities I’m pleased to have been named Chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee for this biennium. We had our first meeting on Thursday. My focus will be on streamlining government to help deliver affordable, attainable, and flexible education to Minnesota students. I am insulted and offended that Governor Walz barred the Office of Higher Education from presenting their agency overview to the committee. The public deserves accountability and transparency. Apparently, he has issued that directive to all his agency officials, urging them to act as obstructionists. In addition to my duties as higher education chair, I also serve on the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, as well as on Ways and Means – the last stop for bills before they reach the floor for final votes of approval. On top of that, I have been selected to serve a new Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee House Republicans created to stop waste, fraud and abuse of tax dollars in our state programs. We are taking this issue seriously and are preparing a comprehensive package to expose fraud that ran rampant under one-party control in Minnesota. The House Republican plan will protect taxpayers and ensure program funding reaches its intended purposes. House Republican priorities We have a lot of work to do in getting Minnesota back on track after the reckless spending, unnecessary tax increases and extreme policies enacted the last two years. When our Legislature truly represents all Minnesotans, we make better decisions. District 29B residents know I’m on the job, working my hardest for them – 12 to 18 hours a day during session – because that’s what they deserve. House Republicans continue meeting with constituents and recently established a list of shared priorities for the 2025 legislative session, including the list pictured to the right.  Follow along from home Here are some links to House of Representatives resources that you may find helpful in following the latest goings on at the Capitol: |