Timberwolves' Game 7 win brings brief joy to contentious Minnesota Legislature
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sunday evening was a grim one at the Minnesota State Capitol, with lawmakers engaging in shouting matches during the final moments of the 2024 legislative session. But amid the chaos was a rare moment of bipartisan jubilation.
Minnesota House members were in mid-debate with just 2.5 hours left before their midnight deadline when a lawmaker made an off-topic announcement.
"For those of you who don't know, the Minnesota Timberwolves won Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals," said an unidentified representative.
The moment when the Minnesota House mid-debate on the final day of session learned that the Timberwolves won game 7 🏀#mnleg pic.twitter.com/O94xsOwHrC
— Caroline Cummings (@CaroRCummings) May 20, 2024
Video shows most representatives leap into a standing applause as cheers fill the chamber.
The joy only lasted for a few seconds before the acrimonious vibe returned. Both the House and Senate descended into chaos after Democrats, who control all branches of state government, bypassed debate and went straight to a vote on a 1,400-page tax bill.
The House and Senate are now adjourned, with Gov. Tim Walz announcing on Monday that he has no plans to call a special session.
Absolute chaos in the Minnesota House after Speaker Hortman went straight to a vote on a taxes bill amended late tonight to add a bunch of other policies in it #mnleg pic.twitter.com/E6pfshhbeA
— Caroline Cummings (@CaroRCummings) May 20, 2024
The Wolves will reconvene on Wednesday evening for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks after they pulled off the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history.
The feat was accomplished on the 20th anniversary of the team's last Game 7 win, which also happened to be the birthday of the Wolves' patron saint, team legend Kevin Garnett.