On Monday, the Minnesota Republican Party vowed to pursue recall efforts against Democrat lawmakers threatening to boycott the start of the legislative session to prevent Republicans from using their expected temporary majority.
According to a report by Fox News, “Republicans currently hold a 67-66 seat majority in the Minnesota House and could use that majority to set legislative rules for the next two years when the session begins on Tuesday.” Democrats are considering boycotting the first two weeks of the session, preventing Republicans from capitalizing on their (likely temporary) majority.
“Minnesotans expect one thing from their elected officials: to show up and do the job they were sent here to do. That’s a basic duty, not a special request,” Minnesota GOP Chairman Alex Plechash said at a press conference at the state capitol.
Republican state Rep. Pam Altendorf argued Democrats are only facing a disadvantage “because of cheating” and are “acting like sore losers and not coming to work.”
The dispute centers around the legislative rules that govern how the Minnesota House operates, which are established at the start of each new session. These rules significantly impact the legislative process, influencing how bills are introduced, debated, and voted upon, potentially shaping the state’s policy direction on critical issues for the next two years.
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Republicans obtained their thin majority due to a vacancy in a Democrat-held seat after Curtis Johnson, who won the November election, was disqualified when courts determined he did not reside in the district. A special election in the predominantly Democratic district is scheduled for January 28, which could shift the majority back to Democrats.
In addition to the upcoming special election, Republicans are contesting the election of Rep. Brad Tabke (D-MN), who won re-election by a margin of 14 votes. Concerns have arisen over the legitimacy of the results after county election officials lost 20 absentee ballots in one precinct. The GOP is pursuing legal avenues to address these issues
“GOP Attorney Ryan Wilson says Minnesota law requires that a recall petition receives at least 25 signatures from voters in a given district,” per Fox.
If the state Supreme Court approves the reasoning, the petition would then need to be signed by at least 25% of the voters who cast ballots in the district during the November election. Successful petitions would lead to a recall vote in the affected districts.
Republicans plan to base their recall efforts on “nonfeasance,” alleging that Democrats are failing to perform their required duties by refusing to attend legislative sessions. “We’ve never had a situation like this in the history of the legislature, where 66 members of a caucus are unwilling to show up for work,” Wilson added.
Democrats, led by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), have not publicly commented on the potential recall efforts.
