Good morning. Protip: Buy refundable tickets for the legislative spring break.

Minneapolis Sen. Doron Clark took the oath of office yesterday, bringing the chamber back to full force and returning Democrats to a one-vote advantage.  Clark’s vote allows Democrats to break the 33-33 tie between the parties that had stood since the beginning of the legislative session. The DFL caucus immediately used the extra vote to roll back the power-sharing agreement that had been in place since Jan. 14. DFLers say they still hope to cooperate with Senate Republicans this session, but the shift would give the DFL a clear majority. “We have a made a commitment to working with our Republican colleagues, and we will, because we know it is in Minnesotans best interest to do the work for the people of Minnesota,” Murphy said. “And we're the body that's ready to do that work.” Republicans didn’t buy it. “Bipartisanship in the Senate is dead,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said. “So this partisanship, it just going to infect the Senate again. And it's really a sad thing after all that we've accomplished over these last three weeks.”

A lot of eyes were on those Blue Dog Democrats, one of whom drew the focus with her own words and action.  Sen. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, stood to speak after the resolution was raised and an amendment pushing back its implementation came up. She said that she recognized that she represented a politically purple district and she hoped the spirit of the power-sharing deal would continue. “My commitment is to continue to work in a bipartisan fashion. My loyalty is to my district, not the DFL. So to everyone in this chamber, you have my commitment to work with you on policy that works for every Minnesotan,” she said. She abstained from voting on an amendment delaying the rollback of the agreement and setting up co-chairs on a pair of committees. The abstentions resulted in 33-33 ties, which blocked the amendments. She voted yes on the overarching resolution, allowing it to pass on a 34-33 vote.

The House stayed stuck. Another breezy session with a couple gavel bangs, a prayer, the pledge and a short-of-a-quorum declaration. It’s now a fourth week of no action that counts. At some point, there will be a major grind to get through deferred work. Republican leaders said they had two sets of group discussions with DFL leaders Monday but didn’t feel closer to a deal when they briefed reporters after House floor session. There are a few chances for lawmakers to catch their breath. According to a posting on the legislative site, the traditional religious holiday observances will result in downtime. An Eid break is set for March 29-31. The Easter/Passover break is due to begin on April 11 at noon and run through April 21 at noon. Those are, as everything, subject to change. Count on at least a few days off at minimum if the schedule changes because many members won’t want to be at the Capitol on or near any holiday in place of family gatherings and religious rituals.

Perhaps a tip to reach a deal? Negotiate over some spicy food. GOP Leader Lisa Demuth told Dana that she recently ordered some nachos with extra jalapeno after a recent round of unsuccessful talks. She said spicy food helps curb some of the stresses of the legislative session. Maybe some hot dishes could cool tensions. (Or not, we’ll be here to cover it either way).

Secretary of State Steve Simon’s attorneys are pushing back against a Republican challenge to his authority to adjourn sessions without entertaining motions. Solicitor General Liz Kramer filed a responsive brief  to the House GOP lawsuit that’s on Thursday’s state Supreme Court docket. Republicans say Simon is exceeding his authority by declining to let Republicans push for action to require Democratic attendance or punish absence. The brief from Simon attorneys said the lawmakers involved can’t speak for the full House nor should the court “review disputes over parliamentary procedure in the state House.” Yes, it’s easy to suggest shoes are on other feet here as Simon’s team argued for the 68-is-a-quorum ruling and Republicans previously asked the courts to stay out of it. This case revolves around a constitutional clause about when a minority can “compel the attendance of absent members.” Simon’s brief argues that clause isn’t in play until after the House is duly organized, which it is not.

Outside spending in Minnesota legislative campaigns that produced the tightest margins in memory topped $23 million in 2024. Those independent expenditures – the ones candidates have no power over – were carried out through mailers, TV ads and boots on the ground. We’re holding off on doing a district breakdown because there are some quirks in the data set that weren’t ironed out until late yesterday afternoon (check back tomorrow). Candidates themselves, who face more limits on fundraising and spending, came in below $12 million. But there is a caveat there, too, because it includes spending for some candidates who weren’t on a 2024 ballot.