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Minnesota House adopts resolution urging governor, state patrol to enforce member attendance; schedules adjournment
Summary
The Minnesota House adopted a resolution urging the governor and the State Patrol to enforce attendance after dozens of members were absent during the first week of the session. The chamber also approved its journal, recorded first readings for House files 11–193, and set its next meeting for Jan. 23.
The Minnesota House of Representatives on Jan. 20 adopted a resolution urging the governor and the State Patrol to enforce attendance after members of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) caucus were absent during the first week of the legislative session.
Majority Leader Representative Niska offered the resolution on the House floor and said, “And so, this resolution is urging the governor, to to enforce the law and direct the state patrol to enforce the law and help our sergeant at arms, secure the absent numbers.” Representative McDonald added that “The Democrats have to get back here to do the business of the people.” The motion carried on a voice vote; the clerk recorded no roll-call tally in the transcript.
Why it matters: The resolution asks the governor to direct state law enforcement to assist House sergeants in securing absent members so the chamber can proceed with work the majority described as urgent, including moving toward a budget. The measure drew brief floor debate confined to partisan attendance and was adopted without a recorded roll-call vote in the provided transcript.
The House also completed routine business. The journal for the previous day was approved as corrected, noncontroversial committee reports were adopted by unanimous consent, and the chief clerk reported the first reading of House files 11 through 193; the transcript records the first-reading announcement but does not provide details about individual bills.
At the end of the session, Majority Leader Representative Niska moved that the House adjourn until 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025; that motion and a subsequent motion to adjourn the day’s session were both approved by voice votes.
Separately, Representative Knudson used a point of personal privilege to inform the chamber that “US border patrol agent David Chris Maland was fatally shot in the line of duty on Monday afternoon. Chris was my cousin.” The speaker requested a moment of silence, which the House observed.
No additional votes on substantive legislation were recorded in the supplied transcript segment. The first readings of the range of House files (11–193) were entered into the record; the transcript does not specify sponsors, subject matter, or committee referrals for those files.
