Minnesota Republicans use new House majority to promote bills to protect borders, life, women’s sports

Now that Republicans temporarily have a 67-66 majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives, they are trying to use it to bring “messaging bills” up for a vote – matters designed to show voters where Democrats stand on issues.

Proposals include protecting life, combatting gender ideology and cutting tax-paid benefits for illegal immigrants.

“There are a number of bills that are going to come to the floor, for the purpose of the people of Minnesota seeing transparency, where the Democratic Party stands on a lot of issues that we think are pretty obvious,” House Majority Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, told the Duluth News Tribune. 

For example, the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee voted 7-6 along party lines to advance the “Preserving Girls’ Sports Act” (HF 12) last week, setting it up for a vote on the House floor. The measure would prevent males from competing in K-12 girls’ sports. 

“This bill is about protecting the integrity of women’s athletics, maintaining a level playing field, and ensuring that female athletes – who have worked tirelessly to achieve success – aren’t forced to compete under unfair conditions,” Rep. Matt Bliss, R-Pennington, wrote in a legislative update. 

“At its core, this issue isn’t about politics. It’s about fairness, safety, and preserving the opportunities that women and girls have fought for over multiple generations.” 

House Republicans also have set a pro-life bill up for a vote, after it advanced out of the Health Finance and Policy Committee on a split vote. HF 24 would require doctors and nurses to preserve the life and health of babies born alive due to an attempted abortion. 

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life says the measure would save lives. 

“Hundreds of abortion survivors who have lived are now part of the Abortion Survivors Network,” the pro-life organization wrote in a letter supporting the bill. 

“Abortion Survivor Network’s Micaella Clay was abandoned at a Minnesota abortion facility after she survived a vacuum aspiration abortion in the late 70s or early 80s. Her actual date of birth and other details were never even recorded.” 

Minnesota law had this protection in place from 1976 to 2023. The Democratic legislative majority and Gov. Tim Walz repealed it two years ago. 

Republicans are also taking on illegal immigration. 

In another party-line vote, the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee advanced HF 10, a proposal that would bar illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits, including free college tuition at in-state schools and free government health insurance. 

“With this bill, hundreds of millions of dollars will be able to be protected for Minnesota taxpayers and American citizens,” Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Elmdale Township, the bill’s sponsor, told the Mankato Free Press. 

Minnesota offers free college tuition to families earning under $80,000 annually, including illegal immigrants. 

Plus, MinnesotaCare, the state’s Medicaid program, offers free and subsidized health insurance to families making at and below 200% of the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that is up to $62,400 annually. 

Minnesota Republicans gained three state House of Representatives seats in the November 2024 general election, creating a 67-67 tie in the House. However, the GOP successfully sued and invalidated Democrat Curtis Johnson’s victory, asserting he did not live in the district and was ineligible to take office.  

Johnson ran in District 40B, which includes Roseville and Shoreview, two cities with about 35,000 and 27,000 people, respectively, located adjacent to Minneapolis and St. Paul.  

Now, Republicans have a 67-66 majority until a March 11 special election is held. Democrats are expected to win, creating a 67-67 tie in the House.  

The power-sharing agreement reached by the two parties last month says that once Democrats reach the 67-member threshold, each party will have equal representation on all but one committee. It also says Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, will remain House Speaker. 

However, since bills require 68 votes to pass, only legislation with bipartisan support in the House will have a chance of reaching the governor’s desk. 

Even if the messaging bills pass in the House, they are unlikely to become law. Democrats still control the state Senate, and 2024 Democrat vice-presidential nominee Walz is still in office.