Election News: Balance of Power Likely to Remain the Same in MN Legislature

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Kari Thurlow

As of the writing of this article, votes are still being counted in several close races in St. Cloud, Rochester, Austin and a few key suburbs, however, it is looking like there will not be a major shift in party control in the Minnesota Legislature. Minnesota entered the 2020 election with the only divided Legislature in the country. DFLers were seeking to gain control over the Minnesota Senate, allowing for single party control of the state Government, something that hasn’t happened since 2013. It needed only to knock off two Republican incumbents and hold its own seats to retake the Senate.

The big prize, partisan control of the state Senate, is still unknown, but preliminary results seem to indicate that both parties managed to flip two senate seats, which will largely preserve the status quo and a slim GOP majority in the Senate. Prior to the election, Senate Republicans held a slim 35-32 majority, thus the DFL only needed to pick up two seats to take over the majority. 

The DFL will almost certainly retain control of the Minnesota House, and it seems likely they will retain their leader, Speaker Melissa Hortman. The House DFL went into the election with a 75-59 majority, and it is likely that majority may be reduced after all the votes are counted in a few close suburban races. 

Even as we wait for final vote counts, here are some things the LeadingAge MN advocacy staff are considering the morning after the election:

• Education of lawmakers is a continued focus and priority. While there wasn’t as much turnover at the Legislature as some predicated, 20-25% of the Legislature will be comprised of first-term lawmakers. It is also likely that the legislative session will take place remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will make relationship development and education more challenging than normal sessions. We will be counting on members to help connect with lawmakers to ensure they understand the priorities of our sector. 

• 2021 will be all about the budget. The election hasn’t changed the reality that Minnesota has a sizable projected budget deficit to grapple with in 2021—to the tune of at least $4.6 billion. It will be difficult to reach consensus on revenue raisers, so budget cuts will likely be on the table. This means it will be critical for lawmakers to understand the role they play in funding senior care and supporting quality care for our growing senior population. 

• COVID-19 Response and Recovery will be a continued focus. Not surprisingly, COVID-19 was a dominant issue throughout the state and will continue to be a priority in the next legislative session. However, lawmakers likely do not fully understand how they can play a role in supporting senior care providers during this pandemic. Ensuring your local lawmakers understand your efforts in providing safe, quality care and that they understand providers’ needs will be a key focus of our messaging. 

LeadingAge MN and the LTC Imperative are coordinating to develop materials for you to use with your local legislators. Stay tuned for additional information and resources. In the meantime, feel free to contact Kari Thurlow at kthurlow@leadingagemn.org if you have questions about connecting with your lawmakers.