2024 in politics: A memorable year in the Minnesota Legislature

NINA MOINI: We're gonna spend the next part of the show talking about the state legislature, both this past session and the session starting in a couple weeks. So, joining, Brian's back, and I did do that, is another wonderful member of the MPR politics team, Dana Ferguson. Thanks for being here, Dana.

DANA FERGUSON: No problem, Nina.

NINA MOINI: You were very busy this year as well, and this year wasn't as big of a year as 2023, where Democrats passed a broad swath of policy priorities. And this year was supposed to be focused on a bonding bill which funds public construction projects. Dana, what does that mean? Were lawmakers successful?

DANA FERGUSON: Yeah that's right. It was supposed to be a bonding bill year at the Capitol. Every other year, when they're not working on a two-year budget, they focus on capital investment, so, public construction projects around the state. Over a number of months, there was a lot of discussion and writing of that bill. But, ultimately, I'm sure you remember the end of session that turned out kind of tumultuous, very loud, and, ultimately, they weren't able to get that bonding bill across both chambers in time before the clock ran out. So, no bonding bill this year.

NINA MOINI: And sometimes we'll see bills get tied to unrelated proposals, and so we'll have to wait and see sort of what happens. But the session was also marked by some controversy, right, Dana? Tell us about what happened with state Senator Nicole Mitchell.

DANA FERGUSON: That's right. So, in April, I'm sure you remember that Senator Mitchell was arrested at her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes. She said that she was retrieving some items of her late father's, but she has since been charged with burglary. There's actually going to be a settlement conference taking place tomorrow, where they can discuss how that case is going to move forward. If there is not a settlement in the case, they're going to jury trial late next month. So, just a lot going on there.

We heard from Republicans and some Democrats earlier this year that they would like to see Senator Mitchell's voting privileges revoked, or see her step down from that seat representing the Woodbury area, but so far, it doesn't sound like that's the way she's going to move.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, and Governor Walz, even, and other DFL party leaders had said that Mitchell should step down, but she said that she won't do that, right, to this point. So, there are still calls for her to resign. Brian, do you expect her to do that?

BRIAN BAKST: Well, her attorneys say she won't, and they say that nothing will happen prior to this case running its course, which, as Dana mentioned, won't be, perhaps, until the end of January, and maybe beyond. And, you know, the DFL controlling the state Senate by just one seat, even before this weekend's passing of Senator Dziedzic, probably complicates things. So, I'd imagine it's going to remain a present issue, but Nicole Mitchell is the only one who can decide whether she's going to resign or not. It would take a 2/3 vote to expel her, and that just seems like an uphill climb.

NINA MOINI: OK. Well, let's turn to this next session. So, lawmakers are going to gavel in in just two weeks, on January 14. But who will be in control of the legislature has changed a lot since election day, and even just in the last week. We ended election night with a 67-67 tie in the House, but there have been developments there as well. Dana, would you bring us up to speed?

DANA FERGUSON: Right. We're sort of trying to keep track of all this moment by moment, as it evolves. But over the weekend, as you mentioned, there were a couple of changes that took place. There was an individual, who's a Democrat, who was elected in the Roseville area, Curtis Johnson. There was a challenge to his seating. The Republican in that district said that he didn't follow the law when it came to residency requirements. He allegedly was living at this apartment within the district, but private investigations found he was spending a lot of time at a home that was not in the district.

So, there was a Ramsey County district court judge that said, in fact, you know, you didn't follow the law, and so you shouldn't be seated in the legislature. Johnson, on Friday, said that he's not planning to appeal at this point, so there's going to be a special election for that seat coming up next month. That is interesting, and changes the playing field here, because it means that Republicans go into the Minnesota House with a one-vote majority, instead of that tie, 67 to 67, that we were expecting.

NINA MOINI: And also keeping our eyes on a legal challenge over that nail-biter of a race in Shakopee, where the DFL incumbent won by 14 points, and learning a ruling is expected in a Republican filed lawsuit any day now, Dana. So, what might all of this mean for control of the chamber?

DANA FERGUSON: It's still really up in the air at this point. We know that Republicans are going to start with at least that one-vote majority. There's still a lack of clarity about exactly what that means, if they can elect a speaker, put in place individuals who are going to chair committees, and then, if things sort of shift back, if it again becomes 67 to 67, that Roseville district leans Democrat, we still don't know, as you mentioned, what the Shakopee area judge is going to do in that case. So, just a lot of unanswered questions about what we might see.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. And, Brian, people have talked a lot about working together, but do you think that they really will, even if the GOP takes control of the House?

BRIAN BAKST: Well, I mean, they want to do a lot of things that the Democrats don't want to do, and this gives them a platform to at least move those conversations and present the narrative that they want. So, even if they don't have the votes to do much, they can really kind of say a lot and control the media narrative as much as they want to, or try to, at least.

NINA MOINI: And, Dana, I do want to talk really quick and just check in again about the death, of course, of Senator Kari Dziedzic. What does that mean for her seat in the Senate?

DANA FERGUSON: Yeah, we learned just today that there's going to be a special election next month, on the same day as that Roseville House race to fill that vacancy for the next two years. We haven't seen a lot of filings just yet, but the turnaround time is very tight. Folks have to file, if they want to run, before tomorrow. So, a lot could change. And, again, another really unique situation where the Senate is going to go in, and initially will be a 33-to-33 tie. So, that Minneapolis special election will be significant, in that it could be the tie-breaker.

NINA MOINI: And, Dana, before I let you go, are there worries over a government shutdown already with this divided legislature?

DANA FERGUSON: I mean, I think that worry is always out there when the legislature comes back in session, especially when there's divided government, because it can be tougher for folks to compromise over a budget. But we'll just have to wait and see, and then maybe we'll also have a special session. Seems pretty common.

BRIAN BAKST: And they have until June 30 to get a budget in place, but they have to end their session by the third Monday in May.

NINA MOINI: All right. Appreciate you both so much. Dana, thank you for being here. We'll, of course, be following your reporting, this legislative session that's coming, I mean, pretty soon here. So, I'm sure we'll see you back on Minnesota Now again. Thank you.

DANA FERGUSON: Great. Thanks, Nina.