House Republicans in Minnesota have taken legal action by filing a lawsuit with the state’s Supreme Court to compel Democratic-Farmer-Labor House members who have been boycotting Capitol sessions back to the chamber. The Democrats have been absent for over two weeks in an effort to prevent Republicans from having a quorum and control of the chamber. Without the necessary 68 members for a quorum, the House has not been able to conduct business, with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon presiding over the chamber.
House Republicans are attempting to propose a motion to get Democrats back, but Simon has refused to recognize them, preventing them from speaking up. The Republicans are asking the Supreme Court to compel Simon to recognize their motion and impose fines on the absent members. The Republicans want absent members to be fined equal to their salary for each day they are away and have their per diem privileges revoked.
The power struggle in the Minnesota House has stalled negotiations, with both sides at an impasse. Democrats want assurance that Republicans won’t attempt to unseat one of their members, while Republicans want to elect a speaker and control House committees. The situation is complicated by the pending status of Rep. Brad Tabke, a Democrat from Shakopee whose election was contested. With no resolution in sight, the House remains divided, with operations at a standstill.
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