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2025 Minnesota legislative session
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| 2025 Minnesota legislative session |
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| General information |
| Scheduled session start: January 14, 2025 Scheduled session end: May 19, 2025 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Bobby Joe Champion (D) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 3, 2026 Last Election: November 5, 2024 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2025 legislative sessions |
In 2025, the Minnesota State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14 and adjourn on May 19.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 and 2024 elections. Democrats won a 34-33 majority in the Senate in 2022. The House was split 67-67 following the 2024 elections. Legal challenges and other events between the 2024 elections and the first day of the legislative session affected party control in both chambers. To read more about changes to party control in the Legislature, click here. The Democratic Party controlled the governorship, creating a divided state government. At the start of the 2025 session, Minnesota was one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leading up to the start of the session, Democrats and Republicans in the Minnesota House of Representatives disagreed over how to proceed with chamber business due to the partisan composition. For more information regarding this dispute, click here.
Leadership in 2025
Minnesota State Senate
- Senate president: Bobby Joe Champion (D)
- Majority leader: Erin Murphy (D)
- Minority leader: Mark Johnson (R)
Minnesota House of Representatives
Click here for more information about the ongoing dispute in the Minnesota House of Representatives over party control and leadership.
- Speaker of the House: Lisa Demuth (R)
- Majority leader: Harry Niska (R)
- Minority leader: Vacant
Partisan control in 2025
- See also: State government trifectas
Minnesota was one of 12 divided state governments at the start of 2025 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Minnesota was also one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Minnesota State Legislature in the 2025 legislative session.
Minnesota State Senate
| Party | As of January 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Vacant | 1 | |
| Total | 67 | |
Minnesota House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 66 | |
| Republican Party | 67 | |
| Vacant | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | |
Changes in party control after the 2024 general elections
On November 5, 2024, Democrats and Republicans each won 67 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives, evenly splitting the chamber. The last time the chamber was evenly split was in 1978. [1] However, legal challenges against the general election results in two districts led to a disagreement between House Democrats and Republicans regarding how to conduct chamber business. Click here for more information about the legal challenges to the election results in the districts at the center of this conflict.
Before the representatives were sworn in, a judge ruled that the general election result in House District 40B was invalid.[2] This ruling shifted the partisan balance to a 67-66 Republican majority with one vacancy, and a special election was scheduled on January 28, 2025. Republicans said their 67-66 majority authorized them to elect a speaker and control committee assignments.[3] However, Democrats said the majority was temporary, and lawmakers can take no action without 68 votes.[3]
On January 12, 2025, House Democrats held a swearing-in ceremony at the Minnesota History Center for Democratic representatives.[4][5] Democratic leader Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) said the ceremony was to ensure that Democratic representatives were legally sworn into office if Democratic representatives decided to deny a quorum.[6] Republican leader Rep. Lisa Demuth (R) said the ceremony was not legitimate.[7]
Democrats boycotted the first day of the session on January 14, 2025, after Demuth indicated that Republicans would use their majority vote to refuse to seat the general election winner for House District 54A.[8] Secretary of State Steve Simon (D) — acting as presiding officer — adjourned the meeting after a roll call determined that 67 members present were not enough to start the session.[9] Republicans appealed the order, moving to replace Simon as presiding officer with Rep. Paul Anderson (R).[9] Republicans then overturned Simon’s order, declared a quorum, and elected Demuth as speaker.[9]
In response, House Democrats petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing that House Republicans’ actions after Simon gaveled the meeting closed were unlawful.[10] Simon filed a separate petition asking the court to weigh in on how many members need to be present to conduct business.[10] He also argued that Demuth illegally usurped his role as the presiding officer.[10]
The court heard oral arguments regarding the case on January 23, 2025.[11] On January 24, the court ruled that 68 members must be present to declare a quorum in the chamber.[12]
On February 4, the Minnesota Republican Party announced they would start circulating recall petitions for all House Democrats.[13] For more information on the recall laws in Minnesota, click here.
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2025 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation has met these criteria yet in 2025. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Legislation trackers
- See also: Legislation Trackers
Ballotpedia’s legislation trackers are your go-to resource for staying on top of key legislative topics. We capture any bill introduced on the topic across all of the 50 state legislatures, and we track the movement of the bill every step of the way. We provide real-time updates and translate legislative legalese into easily understandable language. As of the 2025 session, Ballotpedia provided tracking on the following topics. Click on the links below to view related bills from the 2025 session:
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, there were 63 standing committees in Minnesota's state government, including two joint legislative committees, 28 state Senate committees, and 33 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Driver and Vehicle Systems Oversight Committee
- MNsure Legislative Oversight Committee
Senate committees
- Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee
- Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee
- Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee
- Education Finance and Policy Committee
- Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee
- Finance Committee
- Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee
- Human Services Licensing Policy Committee
- Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee
- Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy Committee
- Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee
- Labor and Industry Policy Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Local Government Policy Committee
- Mining and Forestry Policy Committee
- Rules and Administration Committee
- Senate Capital Investment Committee
- Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee
- Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee
- Senate Housing Finance and Policy Committee
- Senate Redistricting Committee
- Senate Taxes Committee
- Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee
- State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee
- Technology and Reform Policy Committee
- Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee
House committees
- Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee
- Children and Families Finance and Policy
- Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee
- Commerce Finance and Policy Committee
- Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee
- Education Finance Committee
- Education Policy Committee
- Elections Finance and Policy
- Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee
- Ethics Committee
- Health Finance and Policy Committee
- House Capital Investment Committee
- House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee
- House Housing Finance and Policy Committee
- House Redistricting Committee
- House Taxes Committee
- House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee
- Human Services Finance and Policy Committee
- Industrial Education and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee
- Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee
- Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee
- Legacy Finance Committee
- Legacy Funding Committee
- Property Tax Division Committee
- Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee
- Public Safety and Security Committee
- Rules and Legislative Administration Committee
- State Government Committee
- State Government Finance and Elections Committee
- Sustainable Infrastructure Policy Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
- Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Minnesota Constitution can be amended:
The Minnesota Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution— a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Ratification of amendments proposed by a convention require a 60% supermajority of those voting on the amendment question, while an amendment proposed by the legislature requires a simple majority (50%+1) of those voting in the election.[14]
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Minnesota State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 68 votes in the Minnesota House of Representatives and 34 votes in the Minnesota State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Ratifying an amendment requires a 'Yes' vote from a simple majority of all voters casting a ballot in the election, rather than a simple majority of those voting on the question.
Convention
According to Section 3 of Article IX of the Minnesota Constitution, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote in each chamber during one legislative session is required to send a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote by the electorate is required to call the convention. Any proposed amendments approved by the convention require a 60% vote of the electorate to be ratified.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Minnesota.
Minnesota Party Control: 1992-2024
Four years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Historical Senate control
Democrats won a 34-33 majority in the Minnesota State Senate in 2022, gaining control of the chamber for the first time since 2012.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Minnesota Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Minnesota State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Party | 92 | 96 | 00 | 02 | 06 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 45 | 42 | 39 | 35 | 44 | 30 | 39 | 33 | 31 | 34 |
| Republicans | 22 | 25 | 27 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 33 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Historical House control
As a result of the 2024 elections, Republicans began the 2025 legislative session with a 67-66 majority, with a special election to fill a vacancy scheduled for January 28.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Minnesota House following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Minnesota House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 87 | 71 | 70 | 63 | 65 | 52 | 66 | 85 | 87 | 62 | 73 | 62 | 57 | 75 | 70 | 70 | 66 |
| Republicans | 47 | 63 | 64 | 71 | 69 | 82 | 68 | 49 | 47 | 72 | 61 | 72 | 77 | 59 | 64 | 64 | 67 |
Analysis
Adopted legislation, 2011-2024
- See also: The State Legislative Decade - Minnesota
In 2024, Ballotpedia released analysis of bills enacted in each state in the preceding decade. The charts and table below detail legislation passed each year by party sponsorship.
Noteworthy events
Senate District 60 vacancy
Minnesota state Sen. Kari Dziedzic (D) died of ovarian cancer on Dec. 7, 2024. She was re-elected in 2022 to represent District 60 in the Minnesota Senate for a four-year term. Gov. Tim Walz (D) scheduled a special election for Jan. 28, 2025.[15]
Before her death, there was a 34-33 Democratic majority in the Senate. However, the vacancy in Senate District 60 resulted in the chamber being evenly split with 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans.
On Jan. 13, 2025, the chamber’s Democratic and Republican leadership announced they had reached a power-sharing agreement.[16] According to the agreement, each caucus leader will appoint a co-presiding officer, and no changes will be made to Senate rules through 2025.[16] Additionally, each committee will have joint chairs, and an equal number of Democratic and Republican Senators will sit on each committee.[16] The agreement remained in place until Doron Clark (D) was sworn in on February 3, 2025, giving Democrats a majority.[17]
For more information on unique leadership agreements in state legislatures, click here.
House District 54A lawsuit
In the Nov. 5, 2024, general election for District 54A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, incumbent Rep. Brad Tabke (D) led Aaron Paul (R) 10,973 to 10,959 votes, a margin of 14 votes, or 0.06% of the total votes cast. Minnesota allows a losing candidate to request a recount paid for by the state if the final margin is less than 0.5% of the total votes. Paul requested a recount.[18]
The recount found that Tabke won by 15 votes, one more than the original count. However, Scott County election officials announced that 20 ballots were lost and unable to be counted in the final tally. [19] In response, Paul filed a lawsuit asking Scott County District Judge Tracy Perzel to declare the election result invalid and order the district’s seat vacant until a special election could occur.[20]
During the December 2024 trial, six of the 20 voters identified as those whose ballots were lost testified that they voted for Tabke, which led to Tabke declaring victory in the race after the trial concluded.[21] Republican leader Rep. Lisa Demuth (R) indicated that Republicans would use their majority vote to refuse to seat Tabke.[22]
Perzel ruled on Jan. 14, 2025, that Tabke “remains the candidate with the most votes legally cast in the 2024 General Election for Minnesota House District 54A” and that “neither an injunction nor a special election is warranted or ordered.”[23]
House District 40B lawsuit
In the Nov. 5, 2024, general election for District 40B in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Curtis Johnson (D) defeated Paul Wikstrom (R) 65.4% to 34.6%. Wikstrom contested the results in court, alleging that Johnson did not meet the residency requirements to run in the district.[2] On Dec. 20, 2024, Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro ruled that Johnson was disqualified from holding office because Johnson did not “maintain a residence in District 40B for the entire six months prior to the election was a deliberate, serious, and material violation of Minnesota election law.”[2] Johnson said he would not appeal the decision.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) scheduled a special election for Jan. 28, 2025.[24][25] In response, the Minnesota Voters Alliance and the Minnesota Republican Party filed a lawsuit with the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing that state law required the governor to wait 22 days after the first day of session to schedule the special election.[26] A representative for Walz argued that "State law requires the governor to call a special election as soon as possible."[26]
On Jan. 17, 2025, six of the court's seven justices ruled that the special election "was issued prematurely and therefore must be quashed."[27] The court did not say when Walz would be able to reschedule the special election. Justice Karl Procaccini recused himself from the case.[27]
The results of the Nov. 5, 2024, general elections initially led to the partisan breakdown of the House being evenly split with 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans. However, the vacancy in House District 40B resulted in a 67-66 Republican majority with one vacancy.
See also
| Elections | Minnesota State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ CBS News, "Here's what it looked like the last time Minnesota House was divided in 1979," November 8, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Minnesota Star Tribune, "Judge rules DFL House candidate ineligible, throwing majority to GOP for now," December 20, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Minnesota Star Tribune, "Boycott, special elections and quorums: What the heck is going on at the Minnesota Legislature?" January 9, 2025
- ↑ All Democratic members of the Minnesota House of Representatives were involved in the January 12, 2025 swearing-in ceremony except one who was sworn in on January 10, 2025.
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "DFL state representatives sworn into office early," January 13, 2025
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representatives, "DFL state representatives sworn into office early," January 13, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "House Democrats take oath of office in secret 2 days before legislative session starts, sparking outrage," January 13, 2025
- ↑ Threads, "Melissa Hortman on Janauary 14, 2025," accessed on January 14, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 MPR News, "Minnesota House DFLers boycott opening session; Republicans elect their own speaker," January 14 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Minnesota Reformer, "House Democrats, secretary of state ask Supreme Court to weigh in on quorum question," January 15, 2025
- ↑ MPR News, "State Supreme Court weighs what to do about ‘dysfunctional’ Minnesota House," January 23, 2025
- ↑ Fox 9, "MN Supreme Court quorum ruling sides with DFL, says 68 members needed," January 24, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "Minnesota Republican Party launches recall election effort targeting all House Democrats boycotting the legislative session," February 4, 2025
- ↑ The Pink Ballot Statute, 204D.15
- ↑ Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, "Governor Walz Issues Writ of Special Election to Fill Vacancy in Senate District 60," December 30, 2024
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, "Minnesota Senate GOP, DFL reach power-sharing agreement," January 13, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "New Minnesota senator Doron Clark sworn in, tipping control of chamber back to Democrats," February 3, 2025
- ↑ The Minnesota Star Tribune, "DFL Rep. Brad Tabke picks up one vote over Republican Aaron Paul after 54A recount," November 21, 2024
- ↑ FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, "Missing ballots in Scott County likely caused by human error: Officials," November 27, 2024
- ↑ FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, "MN District 54A race: Republican challenger files election contest lawsuit," December 2, 2024
- ↑ The Minnesota Reformer, "Rep. Brad Tabke appears to have the votes. Now a judge will decide if that’s enough to take office.," December 17, 2024
- ↑ The Minnesota Reformer, "GOP House leader Demuth: ‘We should not be seating that representative’ no matter what judge rules," January 8, 2025
- ↑ FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, "MN District 54A race: Judge rules Brad Tabke's win stands," January 14, 2024
- ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "Disqualified DFL House candidate steps aside, granting Republicans majority," January 14, 2025
- ↑ Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, "Governor Walz Issues Writ of Special Election to Fill Vacancy in House District 40B," December 27, 2024
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Pioneer Press, "Minnesota GOP sues over timing of special election for Roseville House seat," January 6, 2025
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Minnesota, "Minnesota Voters Alliance, et al., Petitioners, Republican Party of Minnesota, Petitioner, vs. Timothy Walz, in his official capacity as Governor of the State of Minnesota, et al., Respondents, Tracy West, in her official capacity as County Auditor of Ramsey County, Minnesota, et al., Respondents.," January 17, 2025
