Minnesota Senate GOP spurns new building, for now

Republican lawmakers won’t be moving into the new Minnesota Senate office building when it opens in January.

Republicans strongly opposed the $90 million project, and they’re expected to use it as a campaign issue against Democrats next year.

But Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said the decision to stay put is not a protest. He also said his caucus members just don’t see the need to move for next year’s short Legislative session.

“Moving is very disruptive, I mean it’s a lot,” Hann said. “It’s probably going to take a lot to move people around. We know we’re going to have to do it again after the election. So unless there’s a need to get us out of here, I don’t think people are all that fired up to go through that disruption and that cost.”

Hann said he knows of no immediate plans to convert their current space in the State Office Building.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, accused Republicans of “short-term political gamesmanship.” In a statement, Bakk said GOP senators will end up costing the state.

“There are other state entities currently planning to move into the State Office Building space, moving these entities to that space will save thousands of taxpayer dollars,” Bakk said. “This decision leaves Republican Senators with two offices in the Capitol Complex, while forcing the state to incur additional costs for rent for other state entities.”

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