House Republicans say Democratic absences have stalled negotiations, urge members to return to work

An unnamed House Republican legislator said during a reporter Q&A that negotiations with House Democrats have not advanced and called on absent Democrats to "show up and do their job," citing roughly two weeks of absences that the speaker described as a "Democrat shutdown."

The lawmaker said the most recent written proposal Democrats have circulated is unchanged from an offer dated Jan. 13 and therefore is not a new basis for talks: "The deal that was offered to us 15 days ago, with speaker in the name only and no power behind that and offering the Democrats a 67th vote right now when they only have 66 members is not moving closer to a deal."

The legislator framed the absence as blocking routine work that would affect budgets and projects across Minnesota, saying committees cannot meet and that capital investments — roads, bridges and wastewater projects — are being held up. "Right now, Democrats are holding all of that hostage, but not by not allowing that work to go forward," the lawmaker said.

Why it matters: The absence of a quorum or full membership for either party has practical effects on committee hearings, bill introductions and formal votes. The unnamed Republican repeatedly pressed that Democrats return so the Legislature can address budget shortfalls, alleged fraud and K-12 funding concerns raised by school districts.

The Republican also addressed safety concerns that some Democrats have reportedly cited for staying away. The lawmaker said any legitimate threat should be conveyed to the sergeant at arms and called statements that it is unsafe to attend "unacceptable," adding, "If there was a safety threat here in the state of Minnesota, we know that the sergeant at arms would make Republicans aware of any potential threat."

On enforcement and penalties, the legislator said the House could examine penalties for members who do not appear for session and referenced a motion by Representative Niska that "would encourage some penalties for people that would choose to continue not showing up." The transcript contains no record of a formal vote on that motion.

The lawmaker discussed member compensation logistics, saying per diem for travel and lodging is not being paid while legislative salary is being received: "We are all getting our legislative pay... As far as those other things, I think in rules committee, as we finally do get organized, we will be able to take a look at that."

The Republican raised oversight priorities they say are on hold, including a fraud committee and investigations into one-time spending items that have become ongoing costs. "Fraud, obviously, is a huge issue here in the state of Minnesota that we will continue focusing on," the lawmaker said.

Asked about the president's decision to freeze some federal funding, the lawmaker said they had not yet reviewed the implications and suggested that was a question for Minnesota's federal delegation: "I haven't had a chance to look through fully what that actually means. That's a great question for our federal delegation right now to determine where they're at and what that would actually mean."

The speaker said Republican negotiators are open to a written proposal that is acceptable to both sides, but insisted the offer must be substantively different from previous public proposals. The lawmaker set a near-term opportunity for talks, saying "Tomorrow at 3:30 is another opportunity for Democrats to show up for work."

Context and limitations: The transcript records repeated references to named House Democrats — including Representative Hortman and Representative Boardman — and to Representative Joy and Representative Niska, but those figures were mentioned by the unnamed Republican rather than speaking themselves in this exchange. The record does not include details of any formal votes or committee actions arising from the remarks, and it does not identify the Republican speaker by name.