Minnesota State CapWatch
Considerable Uncertainty Remains Two Weeks into Session
Two weeks into the legislative session and the status of the 2025 session, at least as it pertains to the Minnesota House of Representatives, remains in question. The House Republican Caucus had been doing “business as usual” with members introducing legislation, holding committee hearings, and receiving overview presentations from nonpartisan staff. At the same time, the House DFL Caucus continued their boycott of the session and maintained that without 68 of the 134 members present, the Republicans lack the quorum needed to conduct official business.
Meanwhile, across the street the Minnesota Senate has been conducting its regular business under their recent power sharing agreement. Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) and Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) have alternated presiding as President of the Senate and committee chairs have taken turns overseeing committee hearings.
Supreme Court Holds Hearing on House of Representatives
Last Thursday, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the lawsuits filed by the Minnesota Secretary of State and House DFL Caucus as to what constitutes a quorum in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The Democrats argued that because there are 134 seats, 68 members are needed for a quorum while Republicans argued that 67 is needed because there is an open seat, bringing the current number of members to 133.
The Court was quick to issue an opinion Friday afternoon, finding that the total number of seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives is 134 and therefore a quorum is 68 members. The Court also said that they assume that the parties will now conform to their order without the necessity of issuing a formal writ. We are uncertain how the Minnesota House of Representatives will proceed in conducting business at the legislature, but a series of committee hearings previously scheduled for this week were canceled. The House of Representatives is scheduled to convene during its weekly meeting time, but absent the organizing resolutions that House Republicans attempted to adopt two weeks ago, it remains to be seen how that will play out.
Senate Motion to Expel Senator Mitchell
On Monday the Senate Republican Caucus brought a motion on the Senate floor to expel Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) from the Senate due to her felony burglary charge stemming back to last year. Mitchell was supposed to begin her criminal trial on January 27, 2025, but a court allowed her to delay the trial until after the legislative session. 45 yes votes are needed to expel, so 12 Democrat members would have had to join the Republicans in voting in favor of the motion. Ultimately, the motion failed, as the vote was tied 33-33, and found out of order. The Republicans do not believe Mitchell’s trial should have been delayed yet again, as the incident happened last summer.
Governor Walz Releases Bonding and Infrastructure Proposal
On January 23, 2025, Gov. Tim Walz traveled to his hometown of Mankato to officially release his 2025 infrastructure plan. The location of the plan’s unveiling is significant as the proposal includes $10 million to support the Rapidan Dam recovery efforts after the dam suffered partial failure in June of 2024.
The infrastructure plan proposed by Gov. Walz would appropriate $887 million, including $790 million in general obligation bonds, and focuses on investing in public safety facilities, improving water and transportation infrastructure, preserving existing state facilities, and addressing environmental and housing needs. Further information can be found here on the Minnesota Management and Budget webpage.
House Leaders Lay Out Priorities
Although members of the House DFL Caucus have not yet been at the Capitol, they have sought to be visible and have held numerous public events, including a press conference last week where Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) laid out the caucus’ budget priorities. Hortman outlined a legislative agenda that she argued would focus on workers and their families, including addressing prescription drug costs in health care, introducing legislation to decrease the cost of childcare, and find ways to help tackle housing issues.
Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and her colleagues in the House Republican Caucus also spent time in recent days outlining a plan for the 2025 session that included repealing a retail delivery charge passed in 2024, preventing future automatic increases to the gas tax, combating fraud within government agencies, and other proposals seeking to make Minnesota a more affordable state to live in.
Important Dates to Remember
January 28, 2025 SD 60 Special Election
TBD, February 2025 Updated budget forecast from MMB
March, 2025 HD 40B Special Election
May 19, 2025 Constitutional Deadline to adjourn legislative session
Federal CapWatch
Cabinet Confirmation Process: The Senate continues to confirm President Trump’s Cabinet nominees, with Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent up for a final vote at 5:30 p.m. today. Afterward, the Senate will vote on the cloture (the ability to limit debate) for Sean Duffy’s nomination to lead the Transportation Department. Other notable confirmations from the weekend include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (51-50 vote) and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (59-34 vote). This comes as Republicans continue to prioritize national security-related confirmations.
Additional key committee meetings this week include:
Judiciary Committee: Wednesday, vote on Pam Bondi for Attorney General.
Finance Committee: Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary, with additional hearings Thursday.
Commerce Committee: Wednesday, Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary.
Small Business Committee: Wednesday, Kelly Loeffler for SBA Administrator.
Armed Services Committee: Thursday, Daniel Driscoll for Army Secretary.
Judiciary Committee: Thursday, Kash Patel for FBI Director.
Intelligence Committee: Thursday, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.
Foreign Relations Committee: Thursday, vote on Rep. Elise Stefanik for UN Ambassador.
Uncertainty Surrounding Drug Pricing Law: The Trump administration has taken initial steps to address drug pricing, rescinding a 2022 Biden-era executive order aimed at Medicare drug price negotiations. This move has raised concerns, but it’s unclear whether the administration plans to significantly alter the drug pricing law or its enforcement. Some provisions of the law could be weakened through exemptions or other legal strategies. Congressional action remains a possibility.
Potential FEMA Overhaul: President Trump has indicated he may issue an executive order to overhaul or eliminate FEMA, which would shift disaster response efforts back to states. This suggestion comes amid ongoing recovery efforts in hurricane-stricken North Carolina. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has publicly opposed this idea, stating that the federal government plays a critical role in disaster response.
House Budget Retreat: House Republicans are focusing on a retreat in Miami this week to discuss their strategy for the budget resolution and the broader reconciliation process. While specifics are still unfolding, here’s an overview of what you can expect from their plans:
