Is the Minnesota House tied at 67-67?

For a month, DFL and GOP politicians have said that they're working on a power-sharing arrangement because, supposedly, the DFL won 67 seats in the 2024 election and the GOP also won 67 seats in the House in 2024. What if that supposition is incorrect, though? This article asks the questions that nobody in the Minnesota press isa asking.

The article opens by saying "The election contest between State Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, and Republican Aaron Paul may end up being resolved by the Minnesota House of Representatives. At least, that’s what could occur if the issue is not settled before the state legislature convenes next year." According to the article, "Tabke’s legal team filed a response to an election contest lawsuit brought by Paul regarding the election results in District 54A of the Minnesota House of Representatives."

What's at issue is the fact the recount in House District 54A (Shakopee) is unresolved, with DFL Rep. Brad Tabke leading GOP challenger Aaron Paul by 14 votes. Normally, that would be enough to finish the dispute. The problem is that "the race has been shrouded in controversy since Scott County officials disclosed that 20 absentee ballots were 'properly accepted' for counting, should have been counted, but were not counted. Additionally, the county said that those 20 ballots were likely 'thrown away' and 'likely will not be recovered.'"

If the House is the place where this is decided, it'd mean a legal precedent would be set that the legislature could ignore properly cast ballots. Who wants these properly cast ballots to be ignored? If that sounds like it's rigged, I'd agree. Each person that took the time to vote absentee must have their vote counted. If the government lost these ballots, then the only remedy is to hold a special election. Why should Tabke win because an election worker either willfully threw those ballots away or they accidentally got lost? First, the judge can't ignore those ballots. They were "properly accepted" for counting. Does this judge want to insist he or she knows how each voter cast their vote? That judge would become a laughingstock at that point. Tabke would be viewed as a partisan and a fool after issuing this statement via YouTube:

Over the last 15 days, many people in Scott County and Shakopee have worked hard to make sure every ballot was counted and every voter's voice was heard."

Next, in a state that prides itself on voter participation, Minnesotans can't just ignore those properly cast ballots. That isn't the right thing to do.

Tabke's statement is true except for the people whose ballots were thrown out. At this point, it's irrelevant whether this happened by accident or whether it was intentional. The fact is that those 20 voters' voices will get ignored if there isn't a new election.

If there isn't a special election held to let the people's voices be heard, then Minnesota will be saying that it isn't important that all votes be counted. For a state that prides itself on voting participation, 54A would be a dark stain on that legacy.

As to whether the House of Representatives should be where this gets decided, I've got a different idea. Let's take it out of a judge's hands. Let's take it out of the politicians' hands. Let's put this decision in the vboters' hands.

What a revolutionary principle.