On January 12, leaders from the Senate DFL and Republican caucuses announced an organizing agreement to govern the work of the Minnesota Senate in the presence of a 33-33 tie. The agreement was expected to be passed as a resolution on the Senate floor on Tuesday, January 14.

Following the passing of Senator Kari Dziedzic last month, the Minnesota Senate is temporarily tied with a vacant seat in Senate District 60. A special election for the vacancy will take place later in January.

Key Items of the power-sharing agreement include:
•Each caucus leader will appoint a co-presiding officer; caucus leaders will agree who will convene each day.
•Each committee will have joint chairs, with gavel sharing determined by the chairs.
•Equal representation of DFL and GOP members on committees.
•No changes to Senate rules through 2025.
•Agreement is in place until there are 34 votes to end the agreement.

Following the announcement, Senator Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton) released this statement on the organizing agreement:

“In the presence of a tied Senate, governing is a unique challenge. However, we can't get anything done without each other. I'm thankful our caucus leaders were able to come to an agreement to ensure an organized start to the legislative session. These next few weeks will provide an opportunity for bipartisan collaboration and co-governing. I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to do the important work the people of Minnesota have entrusted us to do.”

A special election for Senate District 60 will take place on January 28. The winner of that contest would be sworn in to office and seated shortly after.