Minnesota Senate elects co-presiding officers, adopts temporary organizing resolution

The Minnesota Senate on opening day elected Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Sen. Jeremy R. Miller as co-presiding officers and adopted Senate Resolution 1, a temporary organization plan for the 94th Minnesota Senate, after the chamber entered a tie following the death of Sen. Kari Dziedzic.

Sen. Erin P. Murphy moved the motion to elect Champion and Miller as co-presiding officers. The roll call showed 65 ayes and 1 pass; the presiding clerk announced, "There being 65 ayes and 1 pass, the motion prevails, and Senator Bobby Joe Champion and Senator Jeremy R. Miller have been elected as co-presiding officers." Champion and Miller then took the oath administered by Associate Justice Sarah E. Hennessy.

Senate Resolution 1, described on the floor as a measure providing for the "temporary organization of the 94th Minnesota Senate," was moved for adoption by Sen. Murphy and presented as memorializing a negotiated agreement between the two caucuses. The resolution, the mover said, covers the duration of the agreement, election of co-presiding officers, committee management, floor operations, staff arrangements, committee memberships and schedules, and adopts the temporary Senate rules from the prior session with updated committee names. After brief remarks from Sen. Murphy and from Senate leader Mark Johnson, the roll call on adoption produced 66 ayes and 0 nays; the clerk announced that Senate Resolution 1 is adopted.

In a single roll-call vote, the Senate also elected other officers and nominees as reported by the clerk. The roll call returned 66 votes in favor for the slate of nominees presented on the floor. Nominations announced on the floor included a candidate for secretary of the Senate and a slate of assistant secretaries, sergeant-at-arms positions, the engrossing secretary, and chaplain. The clerk’s roll call identified "Thomas S. Bodern" (as read on the roll) as elected secretary of the Senate; the roll-call tally as announced on the floor was 66 votes for the nominee.

Why it matters: With an even split in membership after the death of Sen. Kari Dziedzic, the temporary organizing agreement and the election of co-presiding officers set an operational framework meant to allow the Senate to begin work while the two caucuses continue to negotiate longer-term arrangements for committee and floor management.

Votes at a glance

- Election of co-presiding officers (motion to elect Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Sen. Jeremy R. Miller): mover — Sen. Erin P. Murphy; outcome — passed, 65 ayes, 1 pass. - Adoption of Senate Resolution 1 (temporary organization of the 94th Senate): mover — Sen. Erin P. Murphy; outcome — adopted, 66 ayes, 0 nays. - Election of officers (roll-call slate including secretary, assistant secretaries, sergeant at arms, engrossing secretary, chaplain): nominations closed and slate elected by roll call; outcome — nominees elected, 66 votes. (Secretary name as recorded on the roll: "Thomas S. Bodern" — spelling as announced on the roll call.)

Implementation and next steps

Senate Resolution 1 includes provisions for committee memberships and schedules and adopts temporary rules from the prior session with committee-name updates, enabling committees to be staffed and convened under the agreement. The resolution also sets mechanisms for resolving emerging issues between the caucuses, according to the motion’s description on the floor.

Sources: roll-call announcements, motions and remarks recorded on the Senate floor.