As Minnesota House stalemate continues, how much are legislators being paid?

Minnesota legislators are paid $51,750 annually —about $1,000 a week before taxes — to represent their constituents, pass bills and set state budgets.

But the 66 Democrats in the Minnesota House haven’t shown up to the Capitol during this year’s legislative session, which began Jan. 14, as they boycott proceedings in the absence of a power-sharing agreement with Republicans. The DFL lawmakers, who say they’re still meeting with constituents and working with staff on bills, have collectively been paid more than $130,000 over the past couple of weeks during their boycott that has brought the chamber to a standstill.

The 67 Republicans in the House have also been paid as much. They’ve been showing up to the Capitol but haven’t been able to convene the chamber without a quorum of 68 members. House Republicans defied Secretary of State Steve Simon’s ruling that a quorum wasn’t present for the first couple of weeks, electing a speaker and holding committee hearings. Their actions were later invalidated by the Minnesota Supreme Court.

House DFL and GOP leaders met several times in recent days in an attempt to negotiate a deal that could get the chamber back to work. While the Minnesota House isn’t functioning, taxpayers continue to be on the hook, for a collective nearly $265,000 for the first two weeks.

“Show up for work in order to get paid. That’s a basic expectation that I think Minnesotans have of anybody, especially those of us in public service,” Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, said Tuesday. “For Democrats to not be showing up to work and still demanding a paycheck for it is just outrageous.”

House Republicans have posted on social media their own running tally of how much money Democrats have made during the boycott.

Some DFL lawmakers have snapped back at the Republican criticisms. State Rep. Lucy Rehm, DFL-Chanhassen, criticized Republicans for holding two weeks of “taxpayer-funded sham meetings.”

Republicans want to use their 67-66 edge in the House to elect a speaker and control committees for the next two years. Democrats are holding out because they want Republicans to agree to share power; an impending special election for a vacant Roseville-area seat will likely return the House to a 67-67 split.

Another sticking point in negotiations is the election of Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee. Republicans challenged Tabke’s 14-vote election victory in court after Scott County elections officials lost 20 absentee ballots in one precinct. A Dakota County judge upheld Tabke’s victory earlier this month, but Republicans have indicated they could still refuse to seat him.

State legislators are part time in Minnesota, meeting for about five months during odd-numbered years and three months in even-numbered years. The independent Legislative Salary Council sets their salaries.

Lawmakers can also collect a per diem to cover living and travel expenses during the legislative session. House Democrats and Republicans have not collected any per diems during their ongoing stalemate.

“The House has not paid for any per diems for the 2025 Session as of today,” Pete Skwira, the nonpartisan House controller and chief financial officer, wrote in an email Wednesday.

“It is a sacrifice for some members to be here, but it is something that we all signed up for as part of our public service,” Niska said.

Without being in session, House lawmakers couldn’t immediately assess how President Donald Trump’s attempt to freeze federal funding would impact Minnesota. The administration’s move sent Minnesota agencies, nonprofits and local governments scrambling Tuesday before it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge later in the day.

“Today’s reckless and harmful federal funding pause by the Trump administration shows why it is important for us all to get back to the Capitol,” Rep. Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, said Tuesday. “We could be having hearings with the GOP on the impact that this will be having.”

House GOP Leader Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring, said, “We need to get to Minnesota budget talks right now, and we need colleagues to make that happen.”

Asked Tuesday about the possible political consequences of a continued boycott, House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman didn’t sound concerned. Members of the House will be up for election again in 2026.