'As bad as I've ever seen it': Partisan dysfunction worsens in Minnesota Legislature

State lawmakers are poised to start their 2025 session with the sort of partisan chaos that brought their last one to a bitter end.

Minnesota legislators are heading back to the Capitol so bitterly divided that half of the state House members are threatening to not show up.

It’s a foreboding sign of dysfunction for the 2025 Legislature, which starts Tuesday and must pass a two-year state budget by late May to avoid a government shutdown. The standoff in the House could stall business for at least two weeks as Democrats say they’ll boycott the start of session if Republicans don’t agree to share power.

“It’s gotten as bad as I’ve ever seen it, and it isn’t getting any better,” said former state Rep. Gene Pelowski, a Winona Democrat who retired from the Legislature last year. “There was a time when there would be Republicans and Democrats who were moderates and who could come together ... and get things done or stop things that shouldn’t happen.

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https://www.startribune.com/as-bad-as-ive-ever-seen-it-partisan-dysfunction-worsens-in-minnesota-legislature/601204545