MN GOP vows recall efforts as Dem lawmakers threaten to skip work for two weeks
The Minnesota Republican Party has made it clear that they will not tolerate any Democratic legislator who refuses to attend the state legislature’s first day of session on Monday. Democrats have threatened to boycott the first two weeks of the session in an attempt to prevent Republicans from taking advantage of their narrow and temporary majority in the state legislature.
Minnesota GOP Chairman Alex Plechash emphasized at a press conference on Monday that deliberately skipping work would leave Democratic lawmakers vulnerable to election recall efforts. Plechash stated, “Minnesotans expect one thing from their elected officials: to show up and do the job they were sent here to do. That’s a basic duty, not a special request.”
Currently, Republicans hold a 67-66 seat majority in the state House, which they could use to establish legislative rules for the next two years when the session commences on Tuesday. However, this advantage is likely short-lived, as a special election in a lean-Democratic district is set for January 28. The previous Democratic representative in the district, Curtis Johnson, was declared ineligible after it was determined that he did not genuinely reside in the district.
Republicans will maintain a majority for at least the two weeks between the beginning of the session and the special election at the end of January. Additionally, Republicans are challenging the re-election of another Democrat, Rep. Brad Tabke, who won by a mere 14 votes after 20 absentee ballots went missing in one precinct.
GOP Attorney Ryan Wilson explained that Minnesota law mandates a recall petition to have at least 25 signatures from voters in a specific district. Once these signatures are collected, the petition is submitted to the Minnesota Supreme Court to assess if the grounds for the recall meet legal standards.
Wilson added that the basis for the recall requests would be “nonfeasance,” which refers to the failure to perform an act required by law. If the Supreme Court approves this reasoning, the petition must then be signed by at least 25% of the number of voters in the district who participated in the November election. If the petition surpasses this threshold, a recall vote would be conducted.
“We’ve never encountered a situation like this in the history of the legislature, where 66 members of a caucus are unwilling to show up for work,” Wilson remarked.
Republican state Rep. Pam Altendorf claimed that Democrats are at a disadvantage “because of cheating,” accusing them of “acting like sore losers and not coming to work.” The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party did not provide an immediate response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Anders Hagstrom, a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events, authored this article. For tips, reach out to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com or follow him on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
