Dear neighbors, I’m writing with an important update on the state of the Minnesota House of Representatives. In November, Minnesotans voted for equal numbers of Democratic and Republican state representatives. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have walked away from power-sharing negotiations and are now engaging in a legislative coup. On the morning of January 14, a district court judge ruled that my colleague Rep. Brad Tabke of Shakopee won re-election by a slim margin, but Republicans have still not committed to seating him. When an election result is upheld on election night, in a public recount, and in a court ruling, it’s time for the losing side to concede and move on. That is how democracy works. I simply will not stand by and allow duly elected state representatives to be thrown out of office. That is why I am taking the unprecedented step of staying away from the State Capitol until we can negotiate a power sharing agreement that includes not removing Rep. Tabke from office. Tuesday, after Secretary of State Steve Simon declared no quorum was present and adjourned the House, as required by the Minnesota Constitution, Republicans illegally seized control and “appointed” themselves to the Speakership, to Chair positions of all committees (leaving all DFL members off of committees entirely), and began pretending to conduct proceedings. Minnesota state law and our Constitution are clear that this was not legitimate House business. House DFL leadership is petitioning the Minnesota Supreme Court to find that Republicans’ unlawful sessions, unlawful election for Speaker, and other unlawful actions have no legal effect. DFL Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman submitted a good-faith generous power-sharing offer to GOP Rep. Demuth on Monday before session was scheduled to start after Republicans abandoned the agreement they had been working on for months. Republicans refused and have not returned to the table to so much as submit a counter. This should be a time when we begin the important work that Minnesotans elected us to do, like reducing costs and making life more affordable. Instead, House Republicans are wasting time and resources by playing House just to attempt to unseat a duly elected Representative. I’m eager to get to work on the Floor and in committees and begin bipartisan work for Minnesota. We are ready to begin whenever the Republicans are ready to abandon this charade and begin the real work Minnesotans sent us to do. Working for RochesterTo be clear, despite Republican’s unwillingness to work with Democrats on legal, legitimate proceedings, the Rochester delegation and I continue to work hard for Rochester. While we wait for the Republicans to come back to the table, I’m working here in our district, meeting with our legislative partners, local leaders, and of course, constituents. Just this week, I was able to visit the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility as it seeks capital investment to build and equip a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and P-TECH, a pioneering education reform initiative created to prepare young people with the academic, technical, and professional skills required for high-wage, high-skill, and high-need regional careers. We also met with AARP members to discuss their legislative agenda and needs for Rochester and Minnesota, Olmsted County staff, and the Rochester Community Behavioral Health Hospital.  I've also been working with my DFL colleagues to get legislation ready to ensure we can hit the ground running once a power-sharing agreement is reached. Above all, my number one priority is serving and representing my community. If you have any questions or if I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. Stay Connected with the LegislaturePlease continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so call or email any time. You can find my information on my House website. You can also like my Facebook page. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative |