House DFL, GOP members share details of organization agreement, Demuth named speaker

By KSTP

House DFL, GOP members share details of organization agreement, Demuth named speaker

Thursday morning, leaders of the Minnesota DFL and GOP announced details of their power-sharing agreement reached in the House of Representatives on Wednesday night, ending a weeks-long stalemate.

During two separate news conferences, house lawmakers officially announced their deal, adding they are going back to work Thursday.

Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) will be the House Speaker for the next two years, which she says was a key part for the GOP to handshake the deal. This means Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) is giving up her speakership, but she’s now known as the DFL Caucus Leader and Speaker Emeritus.

Hortman says a big sticking point for Democrats was keeping DFL representative Brad Tabke seated following that tight race in Scott County. He will keep that seat under the agreement.

In addition, Republicans will retain control of the committees while they are in the majority, but that could change with the special election now set for March 11. If no party has a majority after the election, there will be co-chairs and an equal number of DFL and GOP members on committees. However, Republicans will get a two-seat majority on a new fraud committee, which starts next Monday.

Political drama has ensued in the House as DFL members boycotted the legislative session since it began on Jan. 14.

The House floor session starts at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Chief Political Reporter Tom Hauser will have the latest on the session during the evening newscasts.

You can watch the news conferences held by both parties in the video player at the bottom of this article.