Dear Neighbors,
In the last election, Minnesotans elected an equal number of Democratic and Republican state representatives, creating a rare 67-67 tie in the 134-member Minnesota House. This is a unique chance for both parties to work together and show we can govern on a bipartisan basis. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have walked away from power-sharing talks and are now trying to pull off an illegitimate power grab.
At a January 6 press conference, Republicans announced plans to use a temporary two-week, one-seat advantage to take control of the House for the next two years, even though Minnesotans elected an equal number of DFL and Republican state representatives. They also said they would use this short-lived majority to unseat a duly elected DFL representative and force a special election, which would disenfranchise the 21,980 voters who chose him in November. This is outrageous and has never happened before in Minnesota. They have also said they would restructure all committees to give GOP members an advantage, change House rules to permanently benefit them, and fire a significant number of DFL staff. What’s more, they did not commit to enacting power sharing once the chamber returns to a tie.
I’m urging my Republican colleagues to drop their illegitimate power grab, respect the election results, and agree to a power-sharing arrangement. A majority in the Minnesota House requires 68 members, but Republicans only have 67. Since it takes 68 votes to pass a bill, we need to work together on a bipartisan basis to get anything done.
I’m hopeful we can agree on a power-sharing arrangement before the legislative session begins on January 14. My focus is on doing everything I can to make that happen. This can be resolved, but Republicans need to return to the negotiating table.
Sincerely,
Rep. Jamie Long
DFL Floor Leader, Minnesota House of Representatives