Minnesota Democrats Boycott Legislative Session

House Democrats in Minnesota staged a boycott on the opening day of the 2025 legislative session in response to Republicans' actions to elect a speaker with a temporary one-seat majority, which they deemed unlawful. Despite the Democrats' absence, Republicans proceeded to elect former Minority Leader Lisa Demuth as speaker, claiming they had a quorum with 67 members present. Democrats plan to challenge this decision in court, arguing that a quorum of 68 is necessary according to state law, and that the elections of certain representatives were compromised. The conflict centers around the refusal of Republicans to seat Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, whose victory was contested due to ballot issues. Democratic leaders expressed concerns about the implications of Republicans seizing control of the House under these contentious circumstances. The situation is expected to escalate as the Democrats aim to protest and pursue legal action until a special election takes place later this month.