| Today brings the first big marker for the state budget tussle to come. Gov. Tim Walz puts his two-year proposal on the table for lawmakers to pick over. Governors get a lot of what they want, but not everything. And there will be key lines in the sand that define the budget debate this session. Dana Ferguson lays out that debate as it gets started . Barring a surprise, the budget will clock in below $70 billion. Why is that important? It would be the first time in a long time (Pawlenty era) since Minnesota lawmakers passed a budget smaller than the one before it. That seldom happens in state history. It has a lot to do with expiring pandemic-era federal aid and intentional decisions to make some prior spending one-time in nature. We’ll have substantial updates to this one throughout the day as we pore over budget materials and attend the grand reveal.
We had a public appearance from Gov. Tim Walz for the first time since the session began. He opted against his ritual pre-convening sweet treats for lawmakers (one told Brian at an event that she was sad to miss out on his bars). Anyway, Walz spoke at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce last night. Peter Cox tells us he talked about the business climate in the state, saying it's a leader in agri-business, superconductors and medical technology. The governor talked about the state approving paid family and medical leave — legislation that the chamber lobbied against and will push for changes in. He said his administration is trying to ease bureaucracy. “We understand that we have to have protections in place, whether it's for worker safety or environmental safety, but the fact of the matter is you should expect efficiencies in that for the first time in decades, Minnesota moved forward on reforming permitting and making sure that process was easier, clear and more transparent for people to get to,” he told the big crowd at RiverCentre. We’ll see if that matches up with his priorities for the session, which get a grand unveiling with his budget today. Walz also used his time on stage to joke about his unsuccessful run for vice president. "I'm back from my 90-day 'Eras Tour' of the United States, but glad to be home," he said, referring to megastar Taylor Swift's grand tour.
While they aren't getting together in the Capitol, the two party leaders in the House shared a couch at an annual start-of-session dinner Wednesday night. Republican Lisa Demuth and DFLer Melissa Hortman appeared jointly on a panel at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce dinner in St. Paul. As Demuth took the stage, she said to Hortman, "Hello! Good to see you!" Moderator Tom Hauser of KSTP asked the two how long they thought this boycott and disagreement over leadership might last. "I can't say exactly how long it will take, but I think it will be relatively soon," Hortman said. "Our last conversation was at 9 a.m. on the Capitol Complex yesterday morning, and I'm waiting for my phone to ring," Demuth said. The two were seated on a small couch, sitting relatively far away from each other. Meanwhile, on the other side of Hauser, Senate leaders Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, and Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, sat closer and were clearly on much friendlier terms.
House Republicans met again while Democrats continued to skip out on the Capitol in favor of meetings in their districts. The 67 GOP members on Wednesday brought the chamber to order, put in place a chief clerk, a team to run the chamber and a chief sergeant at arms, and then sent a few lawmakers to the governor’s office to announce that the House was duly organized. Republican leaders said they now have the option to call on sergeants to find and bring DFL representatives to the House chamber and they’re considering that option. But questions remain about whether their actions are legitimate. House DFL Leaders and Secretary of State Steve Simon filed petitions to the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday asking the court to deem efforts to organize the House and elect a Republican speaker “unlawful.” Simon’s spokeswoman said the secretary planned to convene the chamber every day at 3:30 until a quorum of 68 members could be reached but GOP leaders told him he would be denied access.
GOP lawmakers also voted to adopt a resolution on Wednesday allowing the caucus to retain legal counsel to defend against those lawsuits. Rep. Elliott Engen carried the resolution and said Republicans are just trying to do their jobs. Rep. Harry Niska, a GOP leader, recused himself from the vote since the attorneys work with his law firm. He said the three would be hired by an outside firm for their work on that case.“ My law firm will not benefit from it, and I don't have a personal interest,” Niska told reporters. House DFL Rep. Jamie Long condemned the move and raised questions about whether Niska could benefit financially from the move.
The Minnesota Supreme Court says it'll hear arguments on Jan. 23 — a week from Thursday — in a dispute over who is running the state House. An order from the court set a schedule for written briefs. It means a standoff over House operations could remain in flux for awhile. Republicans are running the House with 67 votes as Democrats stage a boycott. DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon sued because the GOP ignored his ruling that the House lacked enough members to do any work. Simon was the presiding officer when the House opened Tuesday. Republicans overruled him and are plowing ahead. They authorized the hiring of an outside law firm — at public expense — to represent them in the case. Simon is also using publicly financed attorneys. DFL House members have also sued, with a hearing in that case next Thursday as well. They say they’re paying their lawyer bills from campaign funds.
Are the multifront legal challenges an indictment on a broken government or an example of checks and balances in actions. Depends on who you ask. Kirsti Marohn posed the question to legal scholars and also explored the history here and in other places where legislatures and other bodies clash. The public and the courts probably have little patience for it, but it’s the system we have.
The state Supreme Court is already sorting out one case. It’s deciding whether to keep a special election for an empty House seat on track for Jan. 28. If they rule for Republicans who sued, the election would be pushed out to February or beyond. That would extend either the legislative paralysis or the GOP solo show, depending on whether a boycott persists and how the other legal cases play out. The oral arguments are always interesting , as Clay Masters found out after attending them. Pay attention to Justice Paul Thissen who has a unique perspective. He was a House speaker for the DFL prior to joining the bench, but some of his questions were the most skeptical of the rushed special election. Questions can be asked in devil’s advocate fashion. It’s also hard to see a decision that is anything but unanimous, but who knows?
Finally, Peter Callaghan with MinnPost had the uncomfortable moment when House Republicans went to tell the governor that their chamber was organized and ready to go. His headline says it all: Awkward. Peter writes this: “It is usually a fun, sometimes silly meeting in which the governor or his representative meets the committee and exchanges pleasantries and attempts at humor. Then they leave and report back to their chambers.” A staff member for Gov. Tim Walz said this in reply to the GOP entreaty: “The governor is not prepared to accept any formal communications from the House that is not constitutionally organized.” | 
