In brief window of control, Minnesota House Republicans force Democrats to vote on fraught issues

Minnesota House Republicans are using their short window of control at the Capitol to vote on bills that are unlikely to pass but force Democrats to take stances on issues such as transgender rights.

In the past few weeks, state House Republicans brought votes on bills that would bar transgender girls from competing in girls and women’s sports, halt new spending on light-rail projects and weaken the governor’s peacetime emergency powers. The bills failed to garner the 68 votes needed to pass, with 67 Republicans often voting in favor and 66 Democrats voting against.

More GOP bills are on deck, including proposals to prevent fraud in state government programs, eliminate the duty to retreat before using reasonable force in self-defense, and require a portion of future state budget surpluses to be returned to taxpayers.

“There are a number of bills that are going to come to the floor for the purpose of the people of Minnesota … seeing transparency where the Democratic Party stands on a lot of issues,” House Majority Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, said at a recent news conference. “We think that the Democrats are out of touch on a lot of these issues and it’s important for the people of Minnesota to see that.”

Partisan tension between the House DFL and GOP caucuses intensified Monday over the bill barring transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports. State Rep. Brion Curran, DFL-White Bear Lake, accused Republicans of “prioritizing political theater and burning valuable legislative hours.”

“The House floor is meant for vetted bills with enough support to pass,” Curran said.

House Republicans have controlled the agenda for about a month now, using their momentary one-seat edge to vote on mostly partisan legislation, other than a couple of minor bills that passed last week. That could soon change, as Democrats are favored to win a March 11 special election for a vacant Roseville-area House seat.

Democrats and Republicans must jointly decide the agenda if the House is brought to a 67-67 tie. It could be difficult for the two caucuses to work together, at least initially, following the partisan votes and a nearly monthlong power struggle that stalled House business.

“This kind of activity does make it more difficult for us to work with our colleagues,” House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman said of the GOP’s trans athlete bill.

Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said Republicans are ignoring real problems such as rising health care, child care and housing costs.

Republicans have blasted their Democratic colleagues on social media for voting against the recent bills. They’ve accused Democrats of withholding votes on less controversial bills related to public data disclosure in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and light-rail spending.

“It seems to me that maybe Democrats are holding back their votes while we’re in a one-seat advantage until that election in Roseville is determined,” said House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring. “... They have stayed lockstep.”

The House caucuses will ultimately have to work with each other, the DFL-controlled Senate and Gov. Tim Walz to pass a new two-year state budget. Lawmakers must figure out how to tackle a projected $5.1 billion deficit on the horizon.

The Legislature is also debating many policy priorities, from fraud prevention measures to a school cellphone ban to sports betting legalization.

On Thursday, state budget officials will present an updated economic forecast that will set the stage for the Legislature’s spending discussions. Hortman and Demuth have both said they remain confident the Legislature will finish its work before its late-May adjournment deadline.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to have a budget for the state of Minnesota, and we will work together to make that happen,” Hortman said.