ST. PAUL, Minn. — Democrats took control of Minnesota government in the 2022 election, but a new study concluded they didn’t bully their Republican rivals into silence in the Legislature — at least not completely. An analysis of 3,300 bills introduced in the 2023 Legislature found that 19% of GOP-authored Senate bills and 11% of GOP House bills were assigned by the Democratic leadership to committees for consideration. The study was conducted by Majority in the Middle, a non-profit organization committed to decreasing political polarization. Shannon Watson, executive director, said that although Democrats had control, Republicans were allowed to participate. This is not always the case in many states when the majority reflexively spikes anything the minority offers. Watson noted, however, that assigning bills to committees isn’t a complete measure of “Minnesota Nice.” What happens next is nuanced, she said. Minority bills can wither in committee. Indeed, Democrats succeeded with their agenda with their control of three branches of state governance — the Senate, House and governorship. It’s called a political trifecta.
Watson. Her political advocacy encourages bipartisanship.