Dear Neighbor,
After 23 days of House Democrats not showing up for work at the Capitol, they finally broke their legislative shutdown on Thursday, allowing the House to officially come to order for the 2025 session.
It’s. About. Time.
The big breakthrough came when House Democrats came around and agreed to some important terms set by the House Republican majority. The big takeaways are:
- There will be a Republican Speaker of the House for the first time in six years. As Speaker, Rep. Lisa Demuth will be the second-most powerful elected official in Minnesota.
- Republicans will chair the new House committee we established to investigate fraud in state government programs for two years and have a 5-3 voting margin over Democrats.
- Republicans have committee chairmanships and majorities on all committees for the entire five-week period leading up to the March 11 special election in District 40B (Roseville).
- We will return to a split committee roster and co-chairs IF the Roseville seat returns to Democrats.
- Even if the House returns to an even 67-67 split, Rep. Demuth remains the sole Speaker of the House.
I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it was for us to secure Rep. Demuth as our speaker for the duration of this biennium. That means we finally have a backstop to extreme Democrat legislation that ran wild with one-party control at the Capitol the last two years. It also is key for House Republicans to have a controlling majority in the committee on fraud. Democrats allowed fraud/waste/abuse to run rampant in Minnesota the last two years and proved they are unfit to lead any serious endeavors into this subject.
Make no mistake, those are two major wins secured by House Republicans that will serve Minnesotans well the next two years.
The bottom line is the House is finally in order, ready to do the work of the people. It’s going to be a busy stretch in the House as we work to make up time House Democrats frittered during their nearly month-long shutdown. I wonder if we’ll ever find out what they really were doing while they stayed home for nearly a month collecting taxpayer-funded paychecks.
In other news:
 Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans The House Republicans’ recently unveiled Minnesota Tax Dollars for Minnesotans package is designed to prioritize Minnesota citizens in state-aid programs, while also end current policies which allow immigrants who are violent offenders to remain in Minnesota. The two main features of the plan include: - Ensuring state-funded benefits go to legal residents: This measure prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving state-funded financial aid, grants, subsidies, or other taxpayer-funded assistance, including programs such as the North Star Promise college tuition program and MinnesotaCare.
- Banning sanctuary cities and strengthening immigration enforcement: This legislation prevents local and state government entities from enacting policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It also mandates reporting illegal immigrants arrested for violent crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ensuring that criminals who are here unlawfully are held accountable.
This package fits within House Republicans’ commitment to fiscal responsibility, law and order, and ensuring Minnesota taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. This proposal delivers fairness, accountability, and makes sure state resources go where they are needed most – to legal citizens in Minnesota. House Republicans will continue working for stronger financial oversight, smarter spending, and policies that put Minnesotans first. Watch for more from the House soon. It’s about to get busy at the Capitol. Sincerely, Walter |