| The leadup to this knotty legislative session is proving to be monumental in itself. The Legislature can be its own universe, with its own jargon and a bunch of arcane rules, and an insider’s paradise that obscures the mission of making good policy. Sure, we’ll hear plenty this year about taxes, schools, oversight and positioning Minnesota for the future. But this session could be one of those where procedure matters the most. Just look at the past week: We had two snap special elections scheduled and a lawsuit around one them (more later); Republican leaders put a power-sharing plan on ice as they gained a single-seat edge that may be temporary; Democrats threatened to steer clear of the Capitol to deprive that GOP caucus a quorum; Republicans threatened a mass recall push in return; and we’re still a week from the session gaveling in. Oh yeah, there’s a tied Senate for now with a DFL lawmaker facing a criminal trial this month. Dana Ferguson catches us up on the disjointed march toward the 2025 session.
The special election for the House seat that could either extend the GOP run of power or result in a 67-67 tie is now being fought over in the Minnesota Supreme Court. Republicans sued over the timing of the election, which was called for a vacancy that will occur because a DFLer who won in November failed a residency test. Gov. Tim Walz insists he was within his right to schedule the election for as early as possible. Now, it’s up to seven justices who've signaled they’ll move fast. As Clay Masters reports, the high court wants attorneys to file briefs by the end of this week. An oral argument is set for Jan. 15.
The interim director of the Office of Cannabis Manager is being replaced with another interim director. Charlene Briner has been in the role for most of the time marijuana has been legal in the state. Gov. Tim Walz appointed her interim director until he selected someone for the job who then left within a day following questions about her business past. Briner was asked to stay on after the abrupt departure. Now, Walz has announced a new interim director. Office of Cannabis Management General Counsel Eric Taubel will take over the role next week. Briner tells MPR News she had agreed to serve for three to four months and is currently in the middle of month 19.
The presidential election certification went off without a hitch. There were no challenges, no mass protests, no violence. Just a rite of the transition of power that should be ceremonial more than controversial. It was swift, there was applause and it was over. The security was heavy — a lingering consequence of the Jan. 6 of four years ago that didn’t go as smoothly.
We Trudeau-n’t know what will happen next with our neighbor to the north. Canada is going through its own power shift now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’ll relinquish the role. He’ll depart when his Liberal Party decides on a successor , potentially this spring. It’s a sudden downfall for a nation leader who had a meteoric rise but lost the faith of his constituents. He chose to leave rather than fight to hang onto the role when it became clear members of his party were ready to go in a new direction no matter what. | 