Republicans Push Priority Bills in House Prior to Expected Power-Sharing

February 13, 2025

Following a power-sharing agreement announced last week, Minnesota House members are back to work at the Capitol. 

Under the agreement, Republicans, who hold a temporary one-seat majority, will chair all committees and hold a one-seat majority until a special election is held in House District 40B on March 11. After this election, which the DFL candidate is expected to win, the House would again be divided by a 67-67 split. Under the agreement, DFL and Republican members will then co-chair committees, and committees will be made up of equal number of members from both parties. 

In the meantime, Republicans are moving forward with several controversial bills while they hold House control.  

One of those bills, the “Born Alive” bill, was heard in the House Health Finance Committee on February 12. The bill, (HF 24 - Knudsen, R – Lake Shore), would reinstate language that was amended two years ago dealing with children who were “born alive” following an abortion.  Supporters argue that without this change, unwanted children are left to die after being born alive. Opponents, including Minnesota ACOG, MAFP and the MMA, argue that these situations usually involve a fetus that will not survive. Requiring life sustaining efforts for a child that will not survive removes a mother’s chance to hold and bond with the newborn.  

Erin Stevens, MD, an OB and chair of MNACOG’s Policy Committee, testified in opposition to the bill. “When we create laws like this, and make medical decisions in rooms like this, we deprive people of the chance to have the opportunity to experience those few breaths or those few heartbeats because instead fruitless interventions are being performed,” she said.  

“We have to trust pregnant people to make decisions that are best for their lives and we have to trust medical professionals to use the training, skills, and all the knowledge obtained over years and years, to provide the best care for patients. We cannot sit here in rooms like this and legislate and interfere with the doctor-patient relationship in ways that limit bodily autonomy and decision-making capacity.”  

The bill passed on a party-line vote and was referred to the Judiciary Committee 

Other bills heard in committees this week include HF 22 (Gillman, R-Dassel) that creates a “Parent’s Bill of Rights,” which supports the “fundamental right of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, and physical and mental health care of the parent's minor child.”  

The committee also heard legislation postponing implementation of Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave law, which passed in 2023. These bills also passed on party-line votes and were referred to other committees. More GOP priority bills are set to be heard in committee next week, including HF 10 (Schultz, R – Elmdale Township), which would remove MinnesotaCare coverage for those with undocumented status. 

The ultimate passage of these bills in the Minnesota House is unlikely because 68 votes would be needed to pass off the House floor, and Republicans only have 67 members. In addition, they would not likely move in the DFL-led Minnesota Senate or be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz.