Over a month ago now, Minnesota's state Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D) was arrested for burglary over 200 miles from the area she represents, at her late father's home. Mitchell has refused to resign from the chamber where Democrats have just a one seat majority, though they do have a trifecta in state government. Now that the legislative session is over, the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is finally calling for her to resign, and state Republicans are calling out the timing.
On Thursday, the DFL released a statement from Chairman Ken Martin. "The Minnesota DFL believes that all elected officials should be held accountable, including members of our own party. While Sen. Mitchell is entitled to her day in court, her continued refusal to take responsibility for her actions is beneath her office and has become a distraction for her district and the Legislature," he said. "Now that her constituents have had full representation through the end of the legislative session, it is time for her to resign to focus on the personal and legal challenges she faces."
The DFL seems to be just fine with her hanging on until the legislative session concluded, which it did 10 days ago, on May 20.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R) released his own statement as well. "Without new evidence or information in the accusations against Sen. Mitchell, this statement from DFL Chair Ken Martin is a clear admission Democrats were so desperate to pass their highly partisan agenda they were willing to use votes of an alleged burglar to do it," he pointed out.
He had even stronger words from there as he further highlighted the timing. "Democrats abused their political majority and embraced Sen. Mitchell because it served their political purposes instead of working in a bipartisan way for Minnesotans. Anyone paying attention could see this coming – now that they no longer need her vote, they are ready to cast her aside," he continued. "This shameless pursuit of political power is not what Minnesotans deserve from their elected leaders."
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Mitchell subsequently released her own statement through an attorney insisting she was not actually resigning. The statement read in part that she "plans to continue serving [her constituents] now that the session has adjourned," and also claims she's "heard from many in her community who support her work and believe in her right to due process under the law" as a reason why she won't resign.
After DFL Party Chair Ken Martin called for Sen. Nicole Mitchell to resign, her attorney in a statement says she will continue to serve "until her criminal case is fully and finally adjudicated." #mnleg pic.twitter.com/dUBXVG8fkC
— Caroline Cummings (@CaroRCummings) May 30, 2024
Reporting from the Star Tribune pointed out that "Mitchell served until the last votes were cast before the midnight deadline of the 2024 legislative session on Sunday, May 19. Her vote was crucial as the DFL Senate majority held just a 34-33 edge over the GOP and many bills passed on party-lines."
Other responses have come pouring in over social media to also condemn the timing of such calls for resignation.
You gotta be fricken kidding! Now the Dem want Sen Nicole Mitchell gone, not because of principle, but because they don’t want to lose the seat in a special election. They each are complicit in the abuse of power. https://t.co/VM0qoZlVfr
— State Rep Jon Koznick (@Jonkoznick) May 30, 2024
The Democrats shamelessly used Nicole Mitchell as the 34th vote to pass their extreme agenda. Now that session is over, they’ve abandoned all their excuses to keep her voting. https://t.co/d1kLne6K14
— Minnesota Senate Victory Fund (@MNSenateVictory) May 30, 2024
Now that Nicole Mitchell isn’t needed they’re conveniently dumping her. Single party rule is fun stuff. https://t.co/w9IP4Qq0Y4
— J (@UpNorth_Tory371) May 30, 2024
If she is unfit to serve on May 30, she was unfit to serve on May 19.
— Bill Glahn (@billglahn) May 30, 2024
She was literally the deciding vote to not expedite her ethics violation, but the DFL needed her for them to shove their agenda down our throats before the session expired. The DFL's cries about "ethics" are laughable! Shame.
— DesolateTotality (@TotalDesolation) May 30, 2024
One of the legislative battles in Minnesota had been an ordinance from the Minneapolis City Council that would have raised prices for rideshare companies, resulting in a threat from Uber and Lyft to leave. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) signed a bill on Tuesday that to an agreement still raising prices but that overrides the city ordinance. The rideshare companies will remain in the state.
As CBS News reported:
The deal at the bill's heart was struck on May 18 in the final hours of the 2024 Minnesota legislative session between the Democratic majority at the Capitol and Democrat Walz.
...
The compromised raise is $1.28 per mile and $0.31 per minute, which DFL House Majority Leader Jamie Long said earlier this month amounts to about a 20% pay bump. It also contains added benefits, including what has been touted as the strongest insurance provision for rideshare drivers in the U.S.
The new rates won't go into effect until the end of the year and will override the Minneapolis ordinance that started the months-long debate.
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An Uber spokesperson has warned that the bill will lead to price increases that "may hurt riders and drivers alike."
As we covered earlier this month, polling from KSTP/SurveyUSA showed that state Republicans have a slight edge in 2024. State senators are not up for reelection until 2026. Polling also showed that 36 percent of voters, a plurality, believe Mitchell should "resign immediately." Such polling was conducted May 8-May 11, though, weeks before the DFL was willing to call on Mitchell to resign.
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