 Dear Neighbors,
Sometimes we are called on to take strong action to protect the values we hold dear. This is such a time.
This past election, Minnesotans voted for equal numbers of Democratic and Republican state representatives. A 67-67 tie in the 134-member Minnesota House of Representatives is extremely rare. It takes 68 votes to pass a bill, so neither side can do anything without some help from the other.
Republicans will have a one-seat advantage for two-weeks–not a majority–at the start of the legislative session because a court determined that the elected Democrat in district 40B did not meet the residency requirement. A special election has been called for January 28, when it is very likely that another Democrat will be elected, bringing the House back into an even balance.
During my time in the Minnesota legislature, Democrats and Republicans have reached many compromises to move our state forward so I have no doubt that we can successfully govern together under a power-sharing agreement. In fact, Democratic and Republican leaders had already worked out most of an agreement until Republicans backed away from it.
Now Republicans say they will use their two-week, one-seat advantage to seize control of the House for the next two years. Even more troubling, they say they will use their temporary one-vote advantage to refuse to seat another Democratic state representative who won a close race even if (as expected) his election is upheld by the courts. This would trigger another special election in a close district, disenfranchise 21,980 voters who voted in the November election, and extend the Republican temporary plurality. It is an outrageous power grab that has never been done in Minnesota.
I’m calling on my Republican colleagues to abandon their illegitimate power grab, honor the election results, and sign a power-sharing agreement that pledges to honor the decision of the courts. If Republicans refuse to honor the election results, Democrats will be forced to stay away from the Capitol to deny the Republicans a quorum. This would delay the scheduled beginning of session by two weeks to prevent Republicans from electing their Speaker, appointing all Republican committee chairs, firing DFL staff, kicking out a duly elected DFL member, and grabbing power for the next two years.
I hope that a power-sharing agreement can be adopted before the new legislative session begins on January 14. The legislature has important work to do and I want to get started as soon as possible, sharing power with Republican legislators. This situation can be resolved if Republicans return to the negotiating table. Please join me in calling on them to do so.
Staying in Touch
Please contact me with your questions, comments, and concerns, or if I can ever be of assistance. The best way to reach me is to email me at rep.tina.liebling@house.mn.gov. Please be sure to include your postal address so I’ll know you are my constituent. If you call my Capitol office at 651-296-0573 and leave a message, please include your email and street address.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you.
Warmly,
Tina
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