GOP quorum may be prevented by Minnesota House Democrats' threat to skip legislative session's first two weeks.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that House Democrats in the state's legislature are considering boycotting the first two weeks of the legislative session, which begins on January 14, exacerbating political tensions.

If Democrats do not attend, Republicans will not have the necessary number of individuals to legislate, according to the Star Tribune. Meanwhile, Republicans are considering whether to deny a seat to a Democratic representative whose election has been contested in court.

Although the Minnesota House was initially evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, a judge ruled in December that newly-elected Democrat Curtis Johnson was ineligible for his seat because he did not reside in his Roseville-area district. As a result, a special election will be held on January 28 to fill the seat. However, Republicans will have an advantage until then.

If a Democrat wins the special election, the DFL party leaders will return to the legislative session, resulting in a 67-67 tie in the House.

The Republicans aimed to gain control of the House committees for the next two years by electing a speaker with their advantage, but House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman suggested that the parties should share power since the chamber is likely to be tied again after the special election.

Hortman stated during a news conference at the State Capitol on Monday that the absence of a power-sharing agreement would prevent their presence.

Republican leaders contend that there is no tie and they can achieve a quorum with 144 chamber members until the January special election.

According to State House GOP Leader Lisa Demuth, who spoke at a Republican news conference on Monday, the refusal of Democrats to potentially come to work raises the question of whether a true power-sharing agreement would have been successful.

On the House's first day, Secretary of State Steve Simon will be in charge and will decide if a quorum is present.

Republicans may challenge Democratic State Rep. Brad Tabke's election victory and refuse to allow him to take office, despite his 14-vote win. However, the GOP could also use their constitutional power to bar Tabke from taking office, regardless of the judge's ruling, thereby strengthening their advantage.

"Demuth stated in an interview before the news conference that they are waiting for the judge's ruling and will make their decision based on the outcome. However, they emphasized that they had requested a new election to ensure a fair and solid election in the area."

If the House Democrats skip next week's session, Demuth proposed that they may face recall petitions.

Demuth stated that he expected the legislators to be professionals and attend.

The Star Tribune reported that Hortman was optimistic that the parties would reach an agreement before the session began.

""We have plenty of time to meet and discuss our plans, and I am confident that we will find a solution," Hortman said."