Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from St. Paul, where the 2025 session is less than two months away and there is a new landscape of power at the Capitol after last week’s historic general election. Here’s a look at the latest from the House, and more:
Veterans Day
Before we get into legislative business, I want to thank our military veterans for their service as we celebrate Veterans Day this week. Your dedication is inspiring as you make great sacrifices every day to keep us safe and defend the liberties we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America.
Split House
Republicans flipped three House seats last week to gain a 67-67 split (pending two recounts), effectively ending the one-party rule our state has been under the last two years. This means there is no official “majority” or “minority” party for the next two years – we are on equal footing. We are in the process of working to determine exactly how the House leadership and committee structure will look for the next two years, and I will share more as things unfold.
For now, Republicans and Democrats have been working to establish their own caucus leaders. It is an honor House Republicans selected me to continue serving as our caucus Leader/Speaker-designate as we navigate this historic session. Our goal remains clear: to ensure Minnesota families can thrive with lower taxes, safer communities, and greater opportunities for growth.
It is beyond humbling to continue serving the residents of District 13A and I look forward to working with constituents and making sure our local voices are heard during the 2025-26 biennium.
1979
This is the second time in state history the House has been split, preceded by a 1979 sharing of power. Session Daily ran an interesting article outlining how power was shared back then, along with some unique challenges they faced.
The best thing we can do in the upcoming biennium is simply legislate in a way that most Minnesotans want, putting aside the extreme partisanship that ran unchecked with one party in control. Bipartisanship will not be a novelty, rather a requirement to do the work of the people, as we approve a new state budget and complete other important tasks the next two years.
House offices relocate
Construction continues at the $730 million “Palace for Politicians” Democrats funded at the State Office Building site in St. Paul. House offices have been temporarily relocated to the Centennial Office Building, across the Capitol Mall from the SOB. The Capitol itself remains open for business to host floor sessions and committee meetings.
Look for more from St. Paul as we get closer to the Jan. 14 start to the 2025 session. As always, please stay in touch and thank you once again for the continued support.
Sincerely,
Lisa