ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) 鈥� Democratic and Republican leaders of the Minnesota House reached a power-sharing agreement Wednesday night to end a three-week stalemate the state's chief justice said left the chamber 鈥渃ompletely dysfunctional.鈥�
Democrats had stayed away from the state Capitol since the 2025 legislative session opened Jan. 14. Republicans argued that only 67 鈥� the number of GOP elected members in the chamber 鈥� were required for a quorum.
The Minnesota Supreme Court sided with Democrats, to conduct business under the state constitution, but left it up to lawmakers to figure out a way to end the standoff.
Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon has gone to the House daily since Monday to try to convene the chamber, but without a quorum, all he can do is declare an adjournment and return the next day. Under state law, the secretary of state is the presiding officer at the start of the House session until a speaker is elected.
The House GOP pending a to fill an empty seat that鈥檚 set for March 11. That election, in a heavily Democratic district that includes the St. Paul suburb of Roseville, is expected to restore the 67-67 tie that both sides agreed came out of the November election.
House Democrats have been demanding a power-sharing agreement. While they've said they're willing to recognize that the GOP has a temporary majority, they've also said they won鈥檛 return to the Capitol until Republicans promise not to refuse to seat Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, of the Minneapolis suburb of Shakopee, where a judge ruled he won reelection by just 14 votes. It is , where the GOP would stand a good chance of winning a low-turnout special election.
The Supreme Court ruling effectively nullified all actions that House Republicans had attempted to take, including the election of their top leader, Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring, as speaker.
In blocking a quorum, House Democrats used tactics that at least two dozen times to thwart their opponents.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Senate has returned to a 34-33 Democratic majority after three weeks of operating relatively smoothly under a power-sharing agreement. Democratic Sen. Doron Clark, of Minneapolis, was sworn in Monday after winning a special election to fill the seat of Sen. Kari Dziedzic, who died in December.
Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
