DFL state senators moving into new offices
Legislators and staff began moving into the new Minnesota Senate Building this week, as work crews were still doing touch ups on the $90 million project.
DFL senators, who haven’t had personal offices since they were displaced by the state Capitol renovation last spring, are getting settled in their new space.
Republican Senators, who’ve been outspoken critics of the cost of the building, are choosing for now to remain in their current State Office Building space across the street.
Sen. Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley, said he hopes his Republicans colleagues move into the building soon.
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“Having everyone in the same building, being able to walk down the hall and talk to folks, I think we’ll find advantages,” Clausen said.
But Republicans are still not in a rush.
Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said it makes more sense to wait to move until after the November election, when all 67 Senate seats are on the ballot.
“Rather than do that twice for a very, very short session, we’re just going to stay where we are, and after the election we’ll move” Hann said. “I expect there’s going to be significant turnover. There always is.”
Hann said he still hasn’t been inside the new building, but he stressed that he’s not boycotting it. The building will house Senate committee hearings and be the temporary location of the Senate chamber for the 2016 session.
Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, said he think the new building is “very nice” and will allow the Senate to operate more smoothly.
“I’m hoping that as visitors from northwestern Minnesota come down, they’ll certainly appreciate the amenities such as more bathrooms and bigger hearing rooms and better opportunity to voice their opinions on different issues,” Stumpf said.
Stumpf is serving his 10
th
Senate term, and that seniority put him near the front of the line for office selection. His third floor corner office has massive windows on two sides, facing south and west.