House leaders look ahead to bipartisan work in tied chamber

Now that the District 40B special election is over, DFL and Republican leaders are focused on the bipartisan work ahead in a chamber with a 67-67 tie.

Beginning next week, DFL and Republicans will co-chair all House committees except the body’s fraud prevention panel. Bills will also need to have bipartisan support to be approved by committees and move to the House floor where 68 votes are needed for passage.

House Speaker Emerita, DFL Leader Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said she had a “good conversation” on Wednesday with House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and hopes there’ll be a shift from bills favored by only Republicans to more bipartisan bills next week.

“I think we’re both ready to turn the page and start working together,” said Hortman.

[MORE: Feb. 5 power-sharing agreement]

Current House Majority Leader Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) hopes the conflict Republicans and DFLers have overcome so far in session will lead to a smoother finish in May.

“Everybody has always known since the election, even before the election, that regardless of the outcome … there’s a Democrat governor, there’s a Democrat majority in the Senate. Republicans are going to have to work with Democrats in order to get the work done that we need to get done for the people of Minnesota,” Niska said.

Given where the House is in its calendar, and with just over two months to complete their work, Hortman said the main focus will be setting the state’s biennial budget. In addition to ongoing budget discussions with House and Senate leaders and Gov. Tim Walz since the release of the November budget and economic forecast,  Hortman said she and Demuth have also had conversations on how to structure the budget.

“Leader Demuth appears to sincerely want to finish on time. I sincerely want to finish on time. I think the Senate and governor do,” Hortman said. Session must constitutionally end by May 19.

Republicans have a few more days left of their one-vote majority before the House is tied.

Niska said that Minnesota voters indicated in the 2024 election that they didn’t want the DFL trifecta to continue and it was important to Republicans to use their majority the past few weeks in the House to show Minnesotans what Republican governance would look like.