Government Gridlock at the Minnesota Capitol? Revisiting Our 2021 Legislative Stalemate

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Back in 2021, Minnesota lawmakers found themselves in a familiar predicament: a looming deadline, high stakes, and a legislative stalemate that put the state’s future at risk. Sound familiar? It should—because here we are again, watching the gears of government grind to a halt.

In our past video essay, we had a modest proposal to fix this problem—one that involved a plastic bubble, no air conditioning, and some serious sweat equity. It may have been satire, but the frustration behind it was very real.

Now, in 2025, we’re seeing echoes of that same political impasse. Once again, leaders are at odds. Once again, critical issues hang in the balance. And once again, Minnesotans are left waiting.

So what’s next? Will our leaders break the cycle, or will history repeat itself? Watch our video from 2021 and decide for yourself.

Transcript

“The Minnesota legislature returns next week for another special session. They were supposed to finish their work on May 17th. Now, if the governor and legislature can't get done by June 30th, the government will shut down. Thousands of state employees will get laid off.

I have a simple proposal to ensure that our legislators and the governor get their work done. Here's what you do. We put the key decision makers in a plastic bubble in the middle of the Capitol rotunda, and then we turn off the air conditioning. They'll have to start sweating out some tough decisions. Hey, Senator Gazelka, you don't want to budge on clean car standards. Well, guess what? It's pride month and tank tops are on sale at Target, I suggest you stock up Governor Walz, you don't want to drop your emergency powers? Well then be prepared to drop those buffalo checks.

My favorite part about this plan is that all the folks who would normally be filling the capitol protesting for their preferred legislative proposals won't have to yell and scream to get noticed. They can simply lock eyes with Speaker Hortman from the other side of the bubble and take a long, slow sip of an ice-cold lemonade.

You might say it is ridiculous to cook up a legislative deal by mildly cooking our political leaders. But it's also ridiculous that these leaders have been in session for most of the year and haven't done the job that they were sent to St. Paul to do. And worse, thousands of Minnesotans could be unemployed this summer if lawmakers fail to finish what they've been putting off. So lawmakers come back to St. Paul next week, ready to get your work done, or pack some short shorts and expect some heat from your constituents across Minnesota.”