Special Session 6 - Flipping the Gavel to the Minority

Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL - Chisholm, becomes the first minority caucus member of the Senate to be elected President of the Senate by a 63-4 vote. The political maneuver came during the sixth special session of 2020 to extend Gov. Tim Walz’s COVID-19 peacetime emergency another 30 days. Senate Republicans are taking this proactive measure in case Gov. Walz has the opportunity to appoint Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to the U.S. Senate. That’s if present U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar would become a member of President-Elect Joe Biden’s cabinet. If Lt. Gov. Flanagan were to be appointed to the U.S. Senate, Sen. Tomassoni would become the new Lt. Gov by Minnesota Constitution. The Republicans feel they would stand a good chance to flip Tomassoni’s Senate district and increase their majority. If none of this happens the Republicans can undo Tomassoni’s appointment and reelect a Republican majority member to be President of the Senate again.