Steven Jacob, Minnesota State Representative of 20B District | Facebook
Steven Jacob, Minnesota State Representative of 20B District | Facebook
On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz introduced a framework proposed by Democrats for a possible special legislative session with an emphasis on gun policy. However, Republican support for the session's agenda has not been secured. On Monday, House Republicans submitted their own set of priorities to Governor Walz, which focused on improving student safety, mental health access, and public safety. The governor rejected these proposals.
Only the governor has the authority to call a special session in Minnesota. Once called, unless there is a prior agreement with legislative leaders, he cannot control which bills are prioritized. Currently, no such agreement exists between the parties. This means that any bill considered during a potential special session would follow the standard committee process before reaching the floor for debate or voting.
With both major parties holding nearly equal numbers in the Minnesota House of Representatives, bipartisan cooperation will be necessary for any legislation to advance.
Rep. Steven Jacob commented on the situation: "The governor knows this. Yet, he continues to play this 'will he or won’t he' game regarding a special session. It’s bizarre and unprecedented."
Jacob further stated: "I fear this is yet another political stunt orchestrated by Governor Walz. Somehow, he wants to blame Republicans if he doesn’t call a special session, and he’ll clearly blame us if he calls one and we don’t do exactly what he wants."
He added: "If called, House Republicans will show up ready to work to protect students and improve public safety. I also think the rampant fraud taking place under Walz’s administration – nearly $2 billion by some estimates and growing – would also be a topic worthy of consideration."
Jacob concluded: "But lawmakers are not just going to follow the governor’s marching orders.
To me, this is another Walz attempt to try and control what the legislature does and thwart the democratic process. That’s a king’s mentality, and there’s no place for kings in Minnesota."
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