Dear neighbors,
On Friday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the House Republican attempted power grab of the last two weeks violated our state constitution. Every GOP action, including the election of a fake Speaker and appointment of fake committees, was unlawful and illegitimate. In November, voters elected an equal number of Democrats and Republicans to represent them in the House. Now, it’s time for the GOP to start working together with Democrats to develop a fair power sharing agreement so we can return to the Capitol to govern as Minnesotans intended.
In addition to honoring the will of the voters across the state, Republicans also must respect the results of the election in Shakopee where voters elected DFLer Brad Tabke to represent them. Instead, Republicans are refusing to seat him, which would disenfranchise 22,000 voters. The reason they want to do this is simple: to empower them to advance their extreme agenda, which includes taking away reproductive freedoms, eliminating paid family leave, rolling back progress to address climate change, and ending free school meals for kids.
House DFLers will not allow Republicans to overturn an election. Never before has a legislator been kicked out when they have done nothing wrong, and to do so would gravely subvert the will of the voters. Rep. Tabke won on election night, won in a recount, and won in court. DFLers look forward to returning to the Capitol once we have an agreement with Republicans that respects exactly that: the will of the voters.
Meanwhile, House Democrats continue to work directly with our constituents and in our communities. Over the last week, I:
- Visited Burnsville Fire Department to learn more about their whole blood program. They are leading the way in Minnesota by having universal blood, O-negative in their response vehicle.
- Spoke with pile drivers and millwrights at their training facility. I’m committed to ensuring our workers are safe on the job site and that we protect prevailing wages.
- Met Burnsville City Council member Dan Kealey as we chatted about all things transportation. We discussed funding needs for MVTA as well as our micro transit fleet.
- Attended a meeting with the Minnesota Nurses Association and had the opportunity to hear from nurses about the issues affecting them the most. These workers form the backbone of our health care system and I will do everything I can to support them this session!
Currently, Republicans have a temporary one-seat advantage – but they want to use that one seat edge to turn a temporary advantage into a permanent two-year advantage, even when we’re once again in a tie. Our proposal is simple: Republicans can run the House while they have an advantage, but when the House returns to a 67-67 tie, we must return to a fair, co-governing model.
Minnesota voters sent a clear message on Election Night – they expect us to govern together. It’s time for Republicans to return to the negotiating table so we can move forward.
Stay in Touch
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email me at rep.kaela.berg@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-5387. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Kaela Berg
State Representative