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Majority in the Middle Releases Second Annual
‘State of Bipartisanship Report’
Overall, bipartisanship in the Minnesota legislature declined in 2024 compared to 2023. Yet, data shows that many committee chairs and individual legislators demonstrated more bipartisanship.
St. Paul, Minn. – June 20, 2024 – Today, the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Majority in the Middle released its second annual State of Bipartisanship Report analyzing bipartisan bill authorship in the Minnesota Legislature in 2024. While overall bipartisan bill authorship went down in comparison to the 2023 report, data shows that many committee chairs and individual legislators made an effort to increase work across the aisle.
View the full report here https://www.majoritymiddle.com/stateofbipartisanship2024
“While we’re disappointed to see overall bipartisanship data decline this year, we’re encouraged by the individual results that show improvement by legislators and committee chairs,” said Shannon Watson, executive director of Majority in the Middle. “We believe political division in the U.S. is the overarching problem of our time and important issues don’t get solved when we’re divided. Our country’s civic culture and political systems need to incentivize and reward compromise and bipartisanship if we’re going to make progress on challenging problems in the future.”
Key Findings:
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The total percentage of minority-led bills getting a hearing went down from 36% to 31% in the Senate, and held steady in the House at 11%
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Bipartisan bills introduced in 2024 went down from 45% to 38% in the Senate, and 27% to 26% in the House
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The proportion of hearings given to minority-led bills went up in seven Senate and 11 House committees
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The proportion of hearings given to bipartisan bills went up in two Senate and 11 House committees
By the end of the biennium:
- All but two of the 134 House members had sponsored and/or co-sponsored bills with members of both parties
- All 67 Senators had sponsored AND cosponsored bills with members of both parties
“As a former legislator I know how important relationships and collaboration are to creating the best outcomes for our constituents. This report shows collaboration is happening, just not enough. Divisiveness has seeped into all aspects of political life, and too many elected leaders seem to be focused on delivering soundbites rather than solutions,” said Susan Kent, former Minnesota Senate Minority Leader and current Majority in the Middle board member. “We hope the insights from this report inspire citizens to contact their representatives to urge them to work together to bridge the divide.”
This year recommendations on issues relevant to the subject of the report are also included:
- Ensure sufficient time for discussion and amendments
- Members should be represented on committees substantially in proportion to their percentage representation in the full body
- Process as many stand-alone bills as possible
- Set reasonable limits on floor debate
We highly encourage members of both chambers to sit down together and hash out rules changes that everyone could live with – as members of the majority or the minority – BEFORE NOVEMBER, while control of the chambers is being determined by the voters.
“Most DFL and Republican Legislators I know don’t take pride in what happened in the closing moments of the 2024 legislative session, nor the failure to pass a bonding bill in a bonding year session. This report looks beyond that to reveal areas of cooperation the public doesn’t typically see," said Sandy Layman, former Minnesota State Representative and current Majority in the Middle board member. “In the end, the process should serve constituents, regardless of party. We’re hoping this work will shed light on opportunities where we can encourage bipartisan activity that will benefit the people of Minnesota.”
Majority in the Middle’s The State of Bipartisanship Report is designed to analyze bipartisan bill authorship as one important reflection of effective collaboration. This effort identifies where cooperation happens, elevates the people who are leading the way, and collects replicable ideas to cultivate a healthier political environment -- in St. Paul and in state capitols across the country.
The source of authorship data is based on information contained on the Minnesota legislative website, which is populated by information from the Revisor's office, and the House and Senate staff. Data related to hearings is based on information publicly published in committee minutes, bill status spreadsheets, and individual bill information on the Minnesota Legislature website. No legislative staff members participated directly in the production of this report.
About Majority in the Middle
Majority in the Middle is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and an objective, outside force for systemic change that seeks to improve transparency, participation, and civility within Minnesota political and civic life. Majority in the Middle works to elevate elected representatives who embrace working with others to find solutions, and to identify and encourage structural changes in governing that will remove barriers to such cooperation and advance politics we can be proud of. Learn more at majoritymiddle.com and find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.
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Press Contact:
Shannon Watson
Executive Director, Majority in the Middle
Phone: 651-295-8515
shannon@majoritymiddle.com
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