Republicans Say Minnesota House is Ready, Governor Disagrees

On Wednesday, the Minnesota State Capitol saw an unusual scene. Normally, the House and Senate send delegates to inform the governor that they're ready to work. This year, however, things were different. Four Republican representatives, Ben Bakeberg, Max Rymer, Jon Koznick, and Paul Anderson, went to the governor's office. They were greeted by Deputy Chief of Staff Leah Montgomery.Rep. Jon Koznick delivered the message that the House was ready. But Montgomery said the governor couldn't accept their message. She cited Secretary of State Steve Simon's ruling that the House needed 68 members for a quorum, but only 67 were present. The House GOP argued that Simon's ruling didn't matter. "There's a difference of opinion, but it'll get sorted out, " Koznick said after returning to the House. He insisted, "The House is duly organized. "