U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is moving up the Democratic leadership ranks. She gained the third spot in the Democratic caucus leadership heading into a new Congress. Democrats lost their majority in November’s election. But they stuck with their top leader , New York’s Chuck Schumer, as the minority leader. Klobuchar will chair the caucus’ Steering and Policy arm, which means she’ll have a voice in shaping policy strategy for Democrats in a Washington that will have Republicans in the driver’s seat.
A prominent former Minnesota senator is working Capitol Hill on behalf of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, who has Minnesota roots. Footage from Capitol corridors shows former Sen. Norm Coleman escorting Hegseth to meetings with senators. He was seen speaking during a meeting Hegseth was having with Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Monday, the day many lawmakers returned to Washington from their Thanksgiving break. Coleman has remained active since leaving office in 2009, despite health challenges. He presently is national chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition. He is also a registered lobbyist employed by Hogan Lovells, a government relations firm that has aerospace and defense industry clients. Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Department of Defense has been controversial from the start, in part because of questions over his personal conduct and allegations of sexual misconduct that he has vigorously denied.
The Legislature is still in organization mode even as some post-election challenges play out. Yesterday, a Ramsey County District Court judge heard initial arguments in a Republican-filed case that aims to disqualify Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson over a residency challenge. In a lawsuit, Republican Paul Wikstrom claims Johnson lived outside of the boundaries of the Roseville-area district and didn’t properly establish residency in time. Wikstrom’s lawsuit seeks to revoke an election certificate, which could force a new election. (Johnson won handily in November.) Wikstrom attorney Nick Morgan said his client “understands that he at the canvas received less votes. But it's unfounded to think that this claim was brought because of the specific election results.” Johnson’s team is pushing back against the core claims in the case and also argues that the people behind it waited too long to press the matter. Attorney Rachel Kitze Collins represents Johnson. “Although contestants team followed Mr. Johnson and his family around quite closely — I'll add on a daily basis beginning in the middle of September — contestant did not bother to bring this matter to the court's attention prior to the election,” she said. Johnson is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. He says he and his wife got the apartment as they searched for a new house in the district. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Coming onto the radar this week: a one-precinct recount in the Chanhassen area for a House seat that was narrowly decided. The state Canvassing Board received a notification that Carver County elections officials will do a recount of a Chaska precinct. It comes at the request and expense of Republican candidate Caleb Steffenhagen, who lost to DFL Rep. Lucy Rehm by 225 votes, or 0.87 percent. It fell outside the margin to qualify for an automatic recount. In that Chaska precinct, Rehm was ahead by 69 votes. Steffenhagen will be able to decide later if he wants a fuller recount, also at his expense.
In the nearby Shakopee area, a court challenge to Rep. Brad Tabke’s apparent win is starting to move ahead. Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson offered attorneys for Republican Aaron Paul and for DFLer Tabke a list of 28 possible judges to preside over the case. The sides have until Thursday to get the list down to one acceptable to both. After that, there will be an initial hearing in the case by mid-December. Tabke held a 14-vote edge but Paul said the result is in doubt because 20-some ballots couldn’t be accounted for; even if those were retrieved, Paul would have to nearly sweep them to gain the vote lead.
In other legislative legal news, the House Rules Committee has agreed to use tax dollars to pay the legal fees of a legislator who says her full-time employer reduced her hours and pay because of her public service. Rep. Bianca Virnig reached a settlement with the employer, a nonprofit educational services company, for an undisclosed amount. Her legal bill came to about $10,400 . Fellow DFLers said Virnig wouldn’t have had to fight her former employer if not for her House service; Republicans said it’s a slippery slope and that taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook. The pre-session skirmish is another reminder that the Capitol will operate differently next year when there are equal members on every committee and consensus will be required. | 
