A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling has cleared up a major point of contention in the ongoing drama at the Minnesota House of Representatives.

The Court ruled Friday that the Minnesota Constitution requires 68 members to be present in the House to constitute a quorum to conduct business. Since the start of the legislative session last week, Republicans have been conducting business with only its 67 members present, as all DFL members have boycotted the session thus far.

The ruling effectively voids any House action taken this session, including the election of GOP Rep. Lisa Demuth as House Speaker.

DFL members have been avoiding the session in an effort to deny a quorum to Republicans amid ongoing disagreements over control of the chamber, rooted in two contested House seats in the last election. One of those seats, District 54A in Shakopee, was settled by a judge, who allowed DFL Rep. Brad Tabke to take office, even though 20 ballots went missing in a race decided by 14 votes. The other seat, District 40B in Roseville, was vacated after it was revealed the DFL winner did not live in the district, tentatively giving Republicans a 67-66 majority until a special election.