Dear Neighbors, I wanted to give you an update on where the Minnesota House stands. Like my DFL colleagues, I have been focused on work in our district, but we hope to be working collaboratively with Republicans soon in St. Paul. Until Republicans agree to honor the will of the voters, I’ll continue working hard in our community. Last week, The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the Republicans’ attempted power grab in the Minnesota House was invalid. Therefore, every action they took since January 14th was unconstitutional. At the heart of my quorum denial is the Republicans’ stated desire to try to overturn an election of Brad Tabke, who voters in Shakopee elected, and whose election was certified and affirmed by a court. It would be an appalling and unprecedented abuse of power to throw out an election and disenfranchise the 22,000 Minnesotans who voted in Shakopee in November. In addition, the voters elected a tied legislature at 67-67. Democrats have made reasonable offers to Republicans, allowing them to run the Minnesota House while there is a temporary vacancy in district 40B. We’re asking to govern under shared power if the House returns to a 67-67 tie after the special election in 40B. In this tumultuous time, I will continue the work in whatever way I need to protect democracy, work to ensure that everyone has access to stable housing, lower costs for working families, protect our most basic freedoms, and secure a brighter future for all Minnesotans. I’m doing just that, meeting with constituents in our district. Here are some highlights! |