Constitutional crisis Day 2: the calm after the calm
You would expect that a raging constitutional crisis and an “attempted coup” would be more, well… kinetic.
The House reconvened at noon today in the state capitol House Chamber for its second session of 2025. Once again, House Democrats were a no-show:
The Journal of yesterday‘s proceedings was adopted. Apparently, the super-secret, unannounced, private, off-site swearing-in of Democrats was accepted as legitimate (p. 5).
Business picked up where it left off yesterday, with the election of a Chief Clerk and a Chief Sergeant-at-Arms. Both positions were filled by the same people who served under the majority Democrats in 2022-23. Other minor officers were also elected.
With these tasks completed, and the House “duly organized,” a delegation of House members was dispatched to inform the Governor. Peter Callaghan of MinnPost reports that the message was not well received across the hallway. Regardless, the message was delivered.
At 3:30 today, nothing happened. Earlier this week, MN Secretary of State Steve Simon had vowed to return to the House Chamber at that hour, every day, to do… something. He didn’t show. Local reporter Quinn Gorham reports that the Secretary was informed by the House that his services were no longer needed, or wanted.
[The Center’s John Phelan digs deeper into the quorum question and the role of Sec. Simon in this post.]
After conducting some additional routine business, the House adjourned and will be meeting again tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
In the meantime, the House is conducting a full schedule of committee hearings both today and tomorrow, without any Democrats bothering to attend.
The big news from today happened outside the House Chamber. Both the no-show House Democrats and the no-longer-showing-up Sec. Simon sued the House Republicans over the affair. The Star Tribune reports that:
Democrats said they will continue to boycott the House chamber to prevent Republicans from getting to a quorum of 68 members. GOP leaders also raised the prospect of using the sergeant-at-arms to search for the missing DFLers.
Keep in mind that Democrats aren’t being locked out, they are deliberately choosing to not show up.
Meanwhile, at the state supreme court, a hearing was held on another case, involving the premature call of a special election to fill the now vacant seat in House District 40A (Roseville).
The Democrat boycott has generated another national headline:
New York Times: Minnesota House Democrats Boycott First Day of Session
More to come…