Minnesota Legislative Session 2025: MAFP lobbyist Megan Verdeja and the United Strategies team share an update from the Minnesota State Capitol on the Supreme Court rulings regarding quorum for the House and the 40b Special Election.
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules in Favor of DFL in Quorum Case
The Minnesota Supreme Court, after hearing arguments on Thursday, January 23, 2025, ruled in the DFL’s favor on the issue of quorum, which is the minimum number of lawmakers required to conduct any chamber business. This issue has been central to the lack of agreement between House DFLers and Republicans. With the court’s decision, quorum has officially been established as requiring 68 members of the House to conduct official business.
Currently, the House sits at 67 Republicans and 66 DFLers. It will likely be returned to a 67/67 split after the special election in 40b (Roseville) takes place in March, thereby requiring a power-sharing agreement.
See our previous legislative update for more background on the questions around quorum in the House.
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules on 40b Special Election
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled last Friday, January 24, 2025, that a special election to fill the seat for House District 40b – left vacant after the resignation of DFL Representative-Elect Curtis Johnson – must be delayed. The decision sides with the Minnesota Republican Party and the Minnesota Voters Alliance, stating that the declaration of a writ of special election issued by Governor Walz on December 27, 2024, was issued prematurely.
This ruling may prolong the boycott underway by House DFLers this session. The special election, originally slated to occur on January 28, was expected to give DFLers another seat in the House, restoring the 67-67 tie.
No firm date has been set for the special election, but it is expected not to occur until mid-March.
What Does This Mean for Family Physicians?
For now, the focus remains on the procedural and political wrangling at the Capitol. However, as these rulings settle, we’ll see more room for policy discussions that directly impact family medicine and primary care.
We’ll continue to track how these developments shape the legislative calendar, as policy work will, hopefully, soon take priority over political standoffs.
Stay tuned for updates, as we work to advance the issues that matter most to family physicians.
