Legislative Update - The House’s Power-Sharing Agreement

Dear Neighbors,

The Minnesota House is finally organized, and committees began meeting this week. It’s frustrating that it took this long, especially since the deal House Republicans agreed to is largely the same as the offer we made in January, but it’s good to be back in the House Chamber to continue our fight for Minnesotans.

Over the last few weeks, House Republicans have taken a page out of the Trump Playbook, ignoring legal limits, trampling our constitution, and pressuring institutional actors to accommodate.

House Democrats did not comply. We stood united and firm in our fight for democracy and the will of the voters. And we succeeded. This was a fight that was only made possible through your support, and I’m grateful to all of our neighbors that worked with me in our district to ensure we could hit the ground running once this agreement was reached. 

The power-sharing agreement we achieved will:

• Prevent Republicans from throwing out Rep. Tabke’s election, just because they didn’t win it
• Ensure equal membership on all committees
• Curb future abuses of power by Republican leadership
• Preserve our ability to stop Republican’s extreme MAGA Agenda

Democracy won, but it still requires our vigilance to protect it. If Donald Trump and Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature continue to push limits in ways that grab power voters didn’t give them, all to benefit their corporate special interests, we will stand with Minnesotans and hold the line.

We’ve been fighting and will not yield in our work to build an economy where everyone can get ahead, not just the rich and powerful.

Committee Assignments

With committee hearings underway, I wanted to provide an update of the areas I’ll be covering. Though I’ll continue to work on legislation throughout a wide range of issues, I’m looking forward to serving on the House’s State Government Committee, the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, and the Housing Committee.

The voters delivered a tied Minnesota House, and once a special election in Roseville takes place in March, it’s highly likely that’ll continue to be the case. That means anything we accomplish this year will have to be done with bipartisan support.

In the State Government Committee, I’ll work to ensure Minnesota continues to have an effective and responsive government for its people. As long as DFL votes are needed to pass anything, you won’t see irresponsible, DOGE-style cuts.

The Rules and Legislative Administration Committee is key to how we operate the Minnesota House. Here, I’ll make sure Republicans don’t try to shirk the power-sharing promises they made. The reality is we can’t get anything done without working together, and our rules need to reflect that. 

I’m elated to be back in the Housing Finance and Policy Committee, where I know there’s plenty of opportunity for both sides of the aisle to come together to solve our state’s housing crisis. As part of our power-sharing agreement, once we are back to a tie I will serve as the DFL Co-Chair of this committee alongside GOP Co-Chair Spencer Igo. 

Stay Connected

Now that I’m back at the Capitol, please continue to reach out with your questions, comments, and ideas on how we can make our community and state better.

You can follow along on my official Facebook page, and you can always contact my office at rep.michael.howard@house.mn.gov or 651-296-7158. You’ll either hear back from me or our Legislative Assistant, Sowmya. 

In partnership,

Michael Howard