House DFL threatens to not show up for start of session, as GOP might refuse to seat DFL member

Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session is headed toward a historically sour start.

House Democrats are threatening to take the extraordinary step of not showing up for the first two weeks of the session, which starts Jan. 14, in an attempt to deprive Republicans of the quorum they need to operate. Meanwhile, Republicans are pondering using their one-seat advantage in the House to refuse to seat a Democratic representative whose election victory they challenged in court. The political power plays would be unprecedented in Minnesota and could further deepen political divisions.

The Minnesota House was expected to be evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans after the November election, but control of the chamber shifted to Republicans after a judge ruled in December that newly elected Democrat Curtis Johnson didn’t live in his Roseville-area district and was ineligible to take office. Republicans will have a 67-66 edge at least until a special election is held Jan. 28 to fill the likely blue seat.

GOP lawmakers hope to use that advantage to elect a speaker and control the House committees for the next two years. But House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman said Monday that Republicans and Democrats should govern with shared power since the chamber is likely to be tied again after the special election.

“If there is no power-sharing agreement, we will not be here,” Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said during a Monday news conference at the State Capitol.

DFL and GOP lawmakers had been discussing how to amicably share power in what was poised to be a tied House until Johnson was ruled ineligible.

Democrats could possibly stall House business by depriving the 134-member chamber of a quorum. DFL legislators would presumably return to the Capitol in late January if a Democrat wins the special election and returns the House to a 67-67 tie.

House GOP Leader Lisa Demuth said Republicans do not need to share organizational power with Democrats since there isn’t currently a tie. She argued the 67 GOP lawmakers in the House could reach a quorum on their own, since there will be 133 members of the chamber until the vacant Roseville-area seat is filled.

“It completely begs the question of whether or not a true power-sharing was going to work when we see that Democrats are refusing to potentially even come in to work,” Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said Monday at a Republican news conference.

Secretary of State Steve Simon will preside over the House’s first day, meaning he will have to decide whether the GOP has a quorum. Asked for comment, a spokeswoman in his office issued a statement saying that Simon “is consulting with nonpartisan staff and legal counsel to review relevant house rules, statute, case law and precedent.”

House Republicans indicated they’re likely to use their momentary advantage to refuse to seat a Democratic representative whose 14-vote election victory has been contested in court after county elections officials lost 20 absentee ballots in one precinct. Republicans want the court to declare a vacancy for the seat held by Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, which would trigger a special election. The judge is expected to rule on the request this week.

Regardless of what the judge says, the House and Senate have the constitutional power to seat their own members, meaning Republicans could seek to bar Tabke from taking office for another term. Asked directly if Republicans would refuse to seat Tabke when the session begins, Demuth didn’t rule it out.

“We’re waiting for that judge’s ruling. We will make our determination based on what the judge comes through with,” Demuth said in an interview before the news conference. “But we, of course, asked for a new election. That’s the only way to guarantee a solid election in that area.”

Declining to seat Tabke could potentially further the duration of the GOP’s narrow House control, since a special election wouldn’t occur until February. Tabke said in a social media post Sunday that he plans to hold three fundraisers this week: “Some House GOP members are working to force a special election taking our House seat. We need to be prepared.”

If House Democrats don’t show up to work next week, Demuth suggested they could be subject to recall petitions.

“I will expect that they’ll be professional legislators and show up,” Demuth said.

Hortman said House Democrats would still meet with their constituents and work with staff to draft bills if they decide to stay away from the Capitol for a couple of weeks. She said she expected them to continue collecting their taxpayer-funded salaries.

The partisan standoff heading into next week’s session is likely to sour relations that were already strained by the chaotic end to the 2024 legislative session. Democrats passed a 1,400-page omnibus bill in the final hour of the 2024 session after Republicans filibustered, and shouting matches erupted on the floor as Democrats gaveled the session closed.

This year, legislators must reach agreement on a new two-year state budget. They’ll have less financial wiggle room than in previous years and must figure out how to head off a projected $5.1 billion budget deficit on the horizon.

Demuth said Monday she thinks the Legislature will still pass a budget on time, and that Minnesotans shouldn’t worry.

Hortman said legislative disputes aren’t unusual, and there’s plenty of time for this one to be resolved.

“Things work themselves out. It’s early, it’s a full week before we need to convene,” Hortman said. “We have lots of time to come together and discuss how we can work together, and I’m confident that we will.”

Briana Bierschbach of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.