Beginning in the first days after an attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, members of the Senate DFL have called for a resolution to condemn the violence at the U.S. Capitol and affirm the Minnesota Legislature’s support for democracy, rule of law, and free and fair elections. Senate Republicans have declined to take up such a resolution, despite the Minnesota House taking action to pass HR 1 with overwhelming support from both DFL and Republican members. Senate DFL leadership held a press conference to call for the Senate to pass an identical resolution.
“What happened in our nation’s capitol on January 6 was a violent affront to democracy that left Americans shocked and outraged – and Republicans and Democrats alike have stepped up to condemn the violent actions of that day and the lies that led us to that point,” said Senate DFL Leader, Susan Kent. “It is absolutely our responsibility as the Minnesota Senate to publicly condemn the violence and the lies in equal measure in the strongest words possible, and to not delay that message any further.”
“I was proud to begin the conversation around a resolution to condemn the violence at the U.S. Capitol and to affirm support for our democracy and free and fair elections. I introduced a resolution for this purpose on January 11th,” said Assistant Minority Leader Melisa Franzen. “I was told by Senate Majority Leader Gazelka that Senate Republicans would only be willing to agree to a weaker resolution that ignores the lies that led to the violence at the capitol. Now that weeks have gone by with no action and House Republicans have stepped up to vote in favor of HR 1, it is well past time that Senate Republicans show the courage to pass SR 21, unamended, immediately.”
“Our election system and democracy have long been the model for the world, and we cannot allow division and deception to take root and destroy that model,” said Senate Assistant Minority Leader Foung Hawj. “I applaud the Minnesota House of Representatives for putting truth and our country over politics and urge Senate Republicans to take up HR 1 on the Senate floor, unamended.”
“We are at a point in our history where we can choose the path that we want to forge. My hope is that we will move forward together- uniting around the condemnation of violence and affirmation of free and fair elections,” said Assistant Minority Leader Nick Frentz. “We cannot let something so fundamental to our democracy become divisive. We have 3 caucuses standing together to support the language of HR 1 and if Senate Republicans are unwilling to join us, I would simply ask why. Minnesotans deserve a united front to support HR 1.”
House Resolution 1 was adopted in the Minnesota State House on January 25 by a vote of 111 Ayes to 8 Nays. Senator Melisa Franzen has introduced Senate Resolution 21, which uses identical language to HR 1.
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