On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the first day of the 2025 legislative session, the Senate passed several motions and unanimously approved a first-ever resolution to establish a power-sharing agreement between Democrats and Republicans. This agreement will guide the operations of the Senate, which is currently tied at 33-33. The changes notably bring equal membership from Democrats and Republicans to each committee, along with co-chairs and co-vice chairs from each caucus.

“With the Senate currently split at 33-33, Republicans and Democrats hammered out a more balanced agreement to end the DFL Trifecta and get the people’s work done,” Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) said. “This power-sharing approach stands in stark contrast to the actions of House Democrats, who, after losing seats and their majority in the last election, failed to even show up for work on the first day of the 2025 session. Democrat House members are continuing their malfeasance by refusing to go to work for their voters all week—yet they still want to collect their paycheck from taxpayers.”

Some key items in the agreement include:

• Both Republican and Democrat Caucus leaders will appoint a co-presiding officer.
• A permanent increase in Republican committee membership, even if the power-sharing agreement ends.
• The creation of a new Senate Subcommittee on Veterans.
• No changes to Senate rules through 2025.
• The agreement is in place until there are 34 votes to end it.

As part of the current power-sharing agreement, Sen. Westrom was appointed once again to serve as Republican chair of the Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development Committee. The Democrat chair of the committee will be Senator Aric Putnam (D-Saint Cloud).

“As Republican chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, my focus will be on supporting the future of agriculture and rural broadband in Minnesota,” Sen. Westrom said. “This includes prioritizing funding for research and value-added activities, assisting new farmers to get started, and ensuring that Minnesota is prepared to respond to agricultural diseases. Additionally, we need to address the Democrat-led burdensome changes to broadband policy last year, to ensure we can fully utilize $650 billion of federal funds and expand broadband access across our state.”

Additionally, Sen. Westrom will now serve as a member of the Senate committees on Judiciary and Public Safety; Environment, Climate, and Legacy; and Finance.