So, last week was a big week. A good one, by Minnesota Republican standards. For the DFL, less so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both chambers of of the Minnesota legislature flipped to “tied” last week – one by via human tragedy, and one by hubris and stupidity.<\/p>\n
Let’s talk stupidity and hubris first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The House<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As we noted last week<\/a>, the election in House District 40B got thrown out<\/a> by a Ramco Judge – DFLer Julian Castro – because the DFL winner, Curtis Johnson, hadn’t lived in the district the required six months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, it took his GOP opponent and his supporters to dig up the information that went to trial – God knows the media isn’t going to do it. But the locals did prevail. Johnson is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which, including the still-disputed 54A race, leaves the GOP one vote ahead <\/em>as the session looms. Which means a GOP <\/em>speaker of the House – a much better speedbump on DFL control than the “shared power” arrangement people were talking about last week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or it will, if the DFL can’t figure out a way to juke the rules in their favor. Which is exactly what they’re going to try to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, Johnson A DFL state representative-elect said Friday he will not appeal a judge’s ruling that he is ineligible to hold the office because he did not meet residency requirements<\/a> for the district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, Johnson announced he was opening the way to a special election<\/a> to fill the 40B seat by “resigning<\/a>“:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A DFL state representative-elect said Friday he will not appeal a judge’s ruling that he is ineligible to hold the office because he did not meet residency requirements<\/a> for the district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a letter to Gov. Tim Walz, Curtis Johnson said he has “made the difficult decision not to accept my seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives and to resign from the Office of State Representative effective immediately and irrevocably.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Which is great – except the couldn’t resign. He was never in the office – it’s still Becker-Finn’s seat, and Johnson’s election was voided by the court. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pretty Vacant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And the word “vacancy” has a statutory definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n