St. Paul Reporter

After several weeks of delays, the Minnesota House of Representatives has reached an organizational agreement that will allow legislative work to resume. The delay was caused by the absence of a quorum, which is required for the House to conduct official business. The Minnesota Supreme Court states that at least 68 members must be present for proceedings.

Republicans currently hold 67 seats in the House and Democrats have 66. The absence of Democratic legislators prevented the House from meeting the quorum requirement, resulting in a standstill.

Under the new agreement, Rep. Lisa Demuth will continue as Speaker of the House through the 2025-26 legislative biennium. For five weeks following this agreement, Republicans will chair all committees and maintain a one-vote majority in each committee.

If an upcoming special election in Roseville results in a 67-67 tie between parties, committees will move to a co-chair system with equal membership from both parties. Committee control would then rotate between parties to ensure shared decision-making.

The agreement also establishes a new House Fraud and Agency Oversight Committee. This committee will have a permanent Republican chair and a 5-3 Republican majority throughout the biennium. Its role is to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in state government programs.

"This deal was absolutely essential to getting the House back in business. With a state budget that must be passed this year and many pressing issues to address, it was essential to reach a resolution that allowed for governance to resume," said Rep. Nathan Nelson (R-Mora).

"I know the road ahead will require cooperation and maybe a bit of creative problem-solving, but I’m optimistic! This agreement lays the groundwork for us to make meaningful progress on the issues that matter most to our communities," Nelson added.

He encouraged constituents to reach out with concerns or questions via email or office visits.