The Capitol grounds covered in snow on Dec. 19, 2024, following the first significant winter storm of the season. Photo by Michele Jokinen/House Public Information Services.
So much Minnesota politics and government news occurred in the past 10 days during the holidays.
Here’s a breakdown of what broke from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1:
Sen. Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, died on Dec. 27 after a years-long battle with cancer. She was one of the architects of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party’s historic 2023 session. Dziedzic was known for her quiet toughness, preferring to work long hours into the night and behind the scenes rather than seeking the spotlight. Read more about her life in this 2023 profile of her. Visitation is Jan. 2 from 5-8 p.m. at Kozlak-Radulovich Chapel, 1918 University Ave. NE.
With Dziedzic’s passing, the Minnesota Senate will gavel into the session Jan. 14 tied 33-33 between Democrats and Republicans. Gov. Tim Walz issued a writ of special election to fill Dziedzic’s seat and gave wannabe candidates exactly one day to file their candidacy with the Office of Secretary of State.
More than a dozen people filed for the Senate seat — it’s a safe blue Minneapolis district — including 10 Democrats and three Republicans.
A special primary election is Jan. 14, the first day of the legislative session, and a special election is slated for Jan. 28.
Also on Jan. 28: a special election to fill a Roseville-area House seat after a judge ruled DFL candidate Curtis Johnson failed to meet the residency requirement, and Johnson said he will not appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
When the session begins, Republicans will have a one-seat majority over Democrats, 67-66. Republicans will likely capitalize on their temporary majority before a special election in 40B to elect a House speaker and committee chairs.
Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, who led Republicans to their new majority, is the likely speaker of the House. There’s very little precedent for a change of speakership in the middle of a legislative session, and because 68 votes would be required to vacate the speakership, Demuth would likely remain speaker even after a special election pulls the chamber into a tie, so long as she can keep Republicans in line.
Republicans wouldn’t be able to pass legislation on their own, as any given bill needs 68 votes. But because of the DFL’s blunder, Republicans will likely hold the House speakership indefinitely. (Bear in mind, things can change as lawmakers take jobs in other states, encounter legal problems, get sick, etc.)
On New Year’s Day, Democrats in 40B endorsed David Gottfried, a pro-bono specialist at a law firm. Gottfried says he lives in Shoreview and grew up in Roseville. (Republicans no doubt are looking to confirm his residency again.) Of note about Gottfried: He plays the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
In other news, the city of Minneapolis reached a tentative agreement with the Department of Justice to mandate police reforms, the Star Tribune reported. The Minneapolis City Council still needs to sign off on the federal consent decree — one of the fed’s most aggressive tools to restrain police departments it finds to be acting unconstitutionally.
The Justice Department last year found the Minneapolis Police Department uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force, unlawfully discriminated against Black and Native American people and violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech, among other damning findings.
The Star Tribune also reported that former Minneapolis police union leader Bob Kroll is seeking President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination to be Minnesota’s next U.S. marshall. Kroll is banned from serving as a law enforcement officer in three of the state’s most populous counties for 10 years under a federal civil settlement, but Kroll’s attorney argued that the settlement shouldn’t keep him from joining a federal agency.
Following the death of George Floyd, Kroll was blamed as one of the most significant barriers to police reform by city leaders, activists and fellow union leaders.
Yesterday, a bevy of new state laws went into effect, including the first wave of bans on “forever chemicals,” also known as PFAS.
The law bans PFAS in a number of products, from dental floss to cleaning products, beginning in 2025 except those deemed by state regulators to be essential; requires companies to disclose whether they use the chemicals in products; and bans the chemicals in firefighting foam (except at airports and in oil refineries). The chemical ban is named “Amara’s Law” after the 20-year-old Woodbury woman who died of a rare type of liver cancer. She spent her final months lobbying the Legislature to pass the ban. Amara Strande grew up near the Maplewood headquarters of 3M, which has made the chemicals since the 1950s.
by Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer
January 2, 2025
by Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer
January 2, 2025
So much Minnesota politics and government news occurred in the past 10 days during the holidays.
Here’s a breakdown of what broke from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1:
Sen. Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, died on Dec. 27 after a years-long battle with cancer. She was one of the architects of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party’s historic 2023 session. Dziedzic was known for her quiet toughness, preferring to work long hours into the night and behind the scenes rather than seeking the spotlight. Read more about her life in this 2023 profile of her. Visitation is Jan. 2 from 5-8 p.m. at Kozlak-Radulovich Chapel, 1918 University Ave. NE.
With Dziedzic’s passing, the Minnesota Senate will gavel into the session Jan. 14 tied 33-33 between Democrats and Republicans. Gov. Tim Walz issued a writ of special election to fill Dziedzic’s seat and gave wannabe candidates exactly one day to file their candidacy with the Office of Secretary of State.
More than a dozen people filed for the Senate seat — it’s a safe blue Minneapolis district — including 10 Democrats and three Republicans.
A special primary election is Jan. 14, the first day of the legislative session, and a special election is slated for Jan. 28.
Also on Jan. 28: a special election to fill a Roseville-area House seat after a judge ruled DFL candidate Curtis Johnson failed to meet the residency requirement, and Johnson said he will not appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
When the session begins, Republicans will have a one-seat majority over Democrats, 67-66. Republicans will likely capitalize on their temporary majority before a special election in 40B to elect a House speaker and committee chairs.
Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, who led Republicans to their new majority, is the likely speaker of the House. There’s very little precedent for a change of speakership in the middle of a legislative session, and because 68 votes would be required to vacate the speakership, Demuth would likely remain speaker even after a special election pulls the chamber into a tie, so long as she can keep Republicans in line.
Republicans wouldn’t be able to pass legislation on their own, as any given bill needs 68 votes. But because of the DFL’s blunder, Republicans will likely hold the House speakership indefinitely. (Bear in mind, things can change as lawmakers take jobs in other states, encounter legal problems, get sick, etc.)
On New Year’s Day, Democrats in 40B endorsed David Gottfried, a pro-bono specialist at a law firm. Gottfried says he lives in Shoreview and grew up in Roseville. (Republicans no doubt are looking to confirm his residency again.) Of note about Gottfried: He plays the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
In other news, the city of Minneapolis reached a tentative agreement with the Department of Justice to mandate police reforms, the Star Tribune reported. The Minneapolis City Council still needs to sign off on the federal consent decree — one of the fed’s most aggressive tools to restrain police departments it finds to be acting unconstitutionally.
The Justice Department last year found the Minneapolis Police Department uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force, unlawfully discriminated against Black and Native American people and violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech, among other damning findings.
The Star Tribune also reported that former Minneapolis police union leader Bob Kroll is seeking President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination to be Minnesota’s next U.S. marshall. Kroll is banned from serving as a law enforcement officer in three of the state’s most populous counties for 10 years under a federal civil settlement, but Kroll’s attorney argued that the settlement shouldn’t keep him from joining a federal agency.
Following the death of George Floyd, Kroll was blamed as one of the most significant barriers to police reform by city leaders, activists and fellow union leaders.
Yesterday, a bevy of new state laws went into effect, including the first wave of bans on “forever chemicals,” also known as PFAS.
The law bans PFAS in a number of products, from dental floss to cleaning products, beginning in 2025 except those deemed by state regulators to be essential; requires companies to disclose whether they use the chemicals in products; and bans the chemicals in firefighting foam (except at airports and in oil refineries). The chemical ban is named “Amara’s Law” after the 20-year-old Woodbury woman who died of a rare type of liver cancer. She spent her final months lobbying the Legislature to pass the ban. Amara Strande grew up near the Maplewood headquarters of 3M, which has made the chemicals since the 1950s.
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Michelle Griffith covers Minnesota politics and policy for the Reformer, with a focus on marginalized communities. Most recently she was a reporter with The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead in North Dakota where she covered state and local government and Indigenous issues.
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
DEMOCRACY TOOLKIT
© Minnesota Reformer, 2025
v1.66.3
The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell. We’re in the halls of government tracking what elected officials are up to — and monitoring the powerful forces trying to influence them. But we’re also on the streets, at the bars and parks, on farms and in warehouses, telling you stories of the people being affected by the actions of government and big business. And we’re free. No ads. No paywall.
We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)
© Minnesota Reformer, 2025
