Minnesota House Democrats boycott first day of session, but Republicans move forward anyway

Half of the Minnesota House chamber stood empty Tuesday, as every Democratic member took the unprecedented step of boycotting the first day of session to block Republicans from taking control.

Republicans charged forward anyway, disregarding Secretary of State Steve Simon’s ruling that they lacked a quorum. They voted to elect House Republican Leader Lisa Demuth as speaker in a possibly illegitimate move likely to end up before the Minnesota Supreme Court.

“There is serious work that needs to be done here in the state of Minnesota,” Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said after Republicans adjourned the session. “We look forward to when our Democratic colleagues choose to join us and choose to represent the areas voters have elected them.”

Simon, who must serve as the House’s initial presiding officer following an election, ruled that there weren’t the required 68 of 134 members present to do work and adjourned. House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman called everything that followed a “completely sham proceeding” and said Democrats will ask the courts to weigh in.

“I expect that they will find it was unconstitutional,” said Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park. “We had to deny quorum to demonstrate the legal reality that they cannot even convene the House of Representatives without bipartisan collaboration.”

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the Secretary of State’s Office said Simon intends to file a petition with the state Supreme Court “to make clear to the public that these proceedings were not legally legitimate.”

The historic acrimony between the two parties comes as Republicans hold a temporary 67-66 edge in the House until a Jan. 28 special election to fill a likely blue Roseville-area seat. The House GOP and DFL had been negotiating a potential power-sharing agreement as late as Tuesday morning, but they failed to reach a deal that would have allowed for an orderly start to the session.

In the Senate, the first day went smoothly as members swiftly approved a power-sharing agreement negotiated in recent days between DFL Leader Erin Murphy of St. Paul, GOP Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks and others.

The Senate approved Sens. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, and Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, to serve as co-presiding officers of the body while they are in a 33-33 tie. The DFL is expected to resume control of the chamber after a Jan. 28 special election to fill the seat that was held by the late Sen. Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis.

Senators lauded themselves for their comity in contrast to the House. “Our commitment is to continue to work together,” Champion said.

Miller pledged to “preside with respect and dignity that Minnesotans expect and deserve.”

The most contentious point of disagreement in the House revolves around whether to seat Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee. Republicans contested Tabke’s 14-vote election victory in court after Scott County elections officials lost 20 absentee ballots in one precinct. GOP lawmakers had indicated they would use their temporary one-seat advantage in the House to elect a speaker and take control of committees for the next two years, and possibly refuse to seat Tabke.

Dakota County Judge Tracy Perzel upheld Tabke’s victory in a highly anticipated ruling Tuesday morning. But Hortman said Republicans still refused to agree to seat Tabke during negotiations.

“They are trying to steal the election from the voters in Shakopee,” said Tabke, speaking from the Scott County Government Center on Tuesday while surrounded by voters in the district. “If any of our members had entered the Capitol today, all of these voters’ votes would have been revoked.”

Republicans weren’t satisfied with the judge’s ruling. Demuth said they are reviewing the decision and looking at “all options.”

“We know that election contests can be judged by the membership of the House and we take that under consideration,” she said.

Both sides said they were open to continuing negotiations, but Hortman said last week that she expects House Democrats would return to the State Capitol on Feb. 3, after the special election for the Roseville-area seat presumably returns the chamber to a tie.

On the Senate floor, 19 members from both parties spent an hour giving personal tributes to Dziedzic, who died of ovarian cancer in late December at age 62.

She served as majority leader for the 2023 session when DFLers had their most transformative session while their party held the power trifecta — House, Senate and governor’s office — at the Capitol.

In teary and poetic comments, senators talked about Dziedzic’s kindness, honesty and willingness to lead without seizing credit or the spotlight. The late senator’s mother, Pat Dziedzic, watched from the gallery along with two of the senator’s siblings.

Sen. Torrey Westrom, R-Alexandria, talked of texting with Dziedzic while she was away from the Capitol undergoing treatment the past two years and said she could be defined by her kindness. “Get to know people as friends because it pays off,” he said.

First-term DFL senators Zaynab Mohamed, Clare Oumou Verbeten and Heather Gustafson were tearful as they told of how she mentored and supported them.

Mohamed said Dziedzic told her not to worry about politics or noise, just, “Do the right thing.”

She said Dziedzic never stopped asking how she could help, even in her final month of life. “Life is short. Hug your loved ones. Enjoy it,” Mohamed said, quoting Dziedzic.

Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, read the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” written by Walt Whitman in 1865 after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Klein likened Dziedzic to Lincoln, a transformative leader only here for a short time.

“Now she belongs to the ages,” Klein said.

Janet Moore contributed to this report.