New House Minority Leader Rep. Lisa Demuth is focused on "moving forward" after Republican midterm losses
MINNEAPOLIS -- The new legislative session starts in less than a month, and it promises to be a blockbuster.
The DFL has full control of the legislature and the governor's Office.
Around the Capitol, they are calling it the trifecta. For the first time since 2014, Democrats are in full control of state government. They also have a $17.6 billion surplus to work with. Among their priorities are paid family leave, lowering the cost of day care, and a major push in K-12 education, in part to try and help with the devastating learning loss from the pandemic.
The DFL also has a large social agenda that incudes includes potentially legalizing marijuana and putting abortion rights into state law. Abortion is legal here in Minnesota because of a state Supreme Court ruling. But supporters fear just like the Roe decision it could be overturned.
Shut out from power, Republicans are doing some soul searching. Republicans did extremely well in in the November election's legislative races in the rural and farm areas of the state. The cities predictably went DFL, but it was the suburbs that really delivered for Democrats.
Republicans have a new House minority leader, Rep. Lisa Demuth from Cold Spring, who is looking at how the party cam move forward.
"What happened at the polls was unexpected, it was very different on election night. I think we can learn a lot from the data looking back, but my goal is leading our caucus over the next two years moving us forward, working hard for Minnesotans, working where we can with the DFL," Demuth said.
Demuth acknowledges Republicans underestimated the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights. Demuth is personally against abortion rights but says Republicans need to understand most Minnesotans have a different outlook.
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