UPDATE December 15:
While Bluestem appears to have been the only news source to have reported at the time on the Miller/Daudt contest for Minority Leader in the Minnesota House, the headline didn't age well.
As we've reported since, this graciousness didn't last, and Miller and three other Republicans have left the House Republican Caucus, forming their own mini-minority, as Brian Bakst first reported at Minnesota Public Radio.
Since Bakst broke the story, we've posted:
Not so gracious now: Tim Miller, 3 running buddies expel selves from MNHouse GOP caucus
New Republican Caucus members support single-topic bill amendment--mostly
Another leadership snub for Tim Miller? Anderson presented HF3719 to Ways & Means
MN New House Republican Caucus member: it's like being a Blue Dog Democrat. Er: no
Central MN area GOP #mnleg pols have no idea what Miller's up to [END UPDATE]
While Minnesota's media reports on Kurt Daudt's descent from Speaker to Minority Leader, conservative sources note that state representative Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, also sought the Republican House leadership position. On his campaign Facebook page, Miller posted on Saturday morning:
Following a difficult defeat this week in the general election and falling into the minority, I offered a new direction by running for Minority Leader that would unify the MNGOP base for the hard work ahead. Unfortunately I fell short, but I am looking forward to working with Minority Leader (elect) Kurt Daudt toward this goal. Congratulations to Kurt. Congratulations to the Democrats in taking the House. However, I cannot accept any extreme liberal measures. All conservatives will need to work together to challenge that.
At Alpha News, Action 4 Liberty president Jake Duesenberg was not as kind as Miller in Why Republicans Lost Control Of The Minnesota House:
On Friday, the remaining survivors of the massive blue wave in the Minnesota House pulled a Nancy Pelosi maneuver and elected Daudt as the Minority Leader despite him losing the Majority under his watch. There was a two-way race between him and Rep Tim Miller, but the vast majority of Republican legislators showed in their voting that they’ve learned very little from Tuesday’s election, and opted to keep the toxic leadership of Daudt in firm control of the Minnesota House Republican Caucus.
The conservative group was critical of Daudt'd leadership prior to the debacle.
What will Miller's agenda be?
In the comments on Miller's Facebook page, followers mostly remain skeptical about bipartisanship, though a few get specific about policy areas.
One comment objects to Walz's proposed gas tax increase, while another raises the reopening of the CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America) Prairie Correctional Facility, a private prison in Appleton:
Rick Hansen [editor's note: not the DFL legislator] Tim Miller where does the new governor stand on the Appleton Prison?Tim Miller I don’t know, but I will be reaching out to his office in the beginning of session.Rick Hansen Tim Miller thanks
Dan Henry Tim Miller Yes,please do, the surrounding communities are very much for reopening... thank you
"I am strongly opposed to private prisons," Walz said, referring to a proposal from the Appleton area to reopen a private prison there to help ease overcrowding in state prisons.
Now in the minority in Minnesota's House, with the Republicans enjoying a one-vote majority in the state senate, Miller will have his work cut on for him on this one.
Photo: Not the new Minnesota House Minority Leader, Tim Miller was surrounded by opponents of his plan to reopen the private prison during an earlier session.
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