Judy Moe walked into a Richfield Caribou Coffee on Wednesday morning ready to air grievances and advocate for disability rights with her state representative, presenting him with a copy of a printed agenda she created for the 45-minute meeting titled “Meeting with State Rep. Michael Howard 1-15-25.”
Moe, whose daughter is in a wheelchair, confers regularly with Howard, who’s been her House representative for six years. Howard began the conversation by asking her how she was preparing for the Minnesota legislative session — during which she often testifies on bills to lawmakers — and how she’s feeling as President-elect Donald Trump will soon take office.
She grabbed her agenda — much of which detailed her worries about budget cuts to disability services — and pointed to a line highlighted in yellow: “I am terrified!!!!!! Federal and state level!!!!!”
Howard’s Caribou meeting is one of many that House Democrats are hosting with constituents in lieu of their usual work this time of year, when they’d be typically walking the halls of the Capitol, attending committee hearings, being accosted by lobbyists and sitting through long floor sessions.
This year, however, Democrats are staying far away from the Capitol at least until the end of the month. That’s when a special election in the north metro District 40B is expected to deliver another Democratic-Farmer-Labor member and bring the chamber into a tie, 67-67. By denying Republicans a quorum — the minimum number of lawmakers needed to conduct business in the House — Democrats hope to prevent the GOP from establishing control. They also sought to block Republicans from refusing to seat Rep. Brad Tabke, a Shakopee Democrat who won reelection by 14 votes in a contested election in District 54A.
In the meantime, they can only hope that constituent meetings like Howard’s will deflect from a barrage of attacks this week from Republicans and their allies, who are pounding Democrats for their Capitol absence….
Earlier: House Democrats, secretary of state ask Supreme Court to weigh in on quorum question