THE CAST AT THE CAPITOL CONTINUES TO CHANGE BY THE DAY.

LAWSUITS ARE LOOMING, THE NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR IS PART OF MORE THAN ONE OF THE LAWSUITS AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE THREATENING NOT TO SHOW UP ON THE FIRST DAY.

OUR LONGTIME CAPITOL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER GIVES US DEEPER CONTEXT ON ALL OF THIS.

>> THE CLERK PRO TEM WILL CALL THE ROLL.

>> THE SECRETARY OF STATE MUST CONVENE THE SESSION ON THE FIRST DAY, AND ONLY THAT PRESIDING OFFICER CAN DECIDE IF THERE'S ENOUGH MEMBERS PRESENT FOR A QUORUM TO BEGIN WORK.

>> STEVE SIMON WILL BE THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND HE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER QUORUM IS PRESENT OR NOT.

>> THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE CONFIRMS THAT WITHOUT 68 MEMBERS PRESENT, WHICH NEITHER CAUCUS HAS, HE WILL CONCLUDE THERE'S NO QUORUM AND WILL ADJOURN.

REPUBLICANS SAY WITH AT LEAST ONE D.F.L.

SEAT NOT FILLED ON THAT FIRST DAY, THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO ELECT LEADER DEMUTH AS SPEAKER.

>> THERE IS NO LONGER A TIE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

DEMOCRATS WILL BE COMING IN WITH 66 MEMBERS.

WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT GIVES US AN ORGANIZATIONAL MAJORITY.

>> MULTIPLE LEGAL CASES HAVE ALL THE LAWYERS IN LEADERSHIP JUMPING INTO ACTION.

>> HOW MUCH DOES IT HELP TO BE LAWYERS MAYBE -- [ LAUGHTER ] >> AYBE A LITTLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SERVING IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.

>> THE LAWYER WHO'S THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER DESIGNATE SAYS IF DEMOCRATS FAIL TO SHOW AND DENY A QUORUM, THEY'LL START RECALL ELECTIONS AGAINST THEM.

THE MINNESOTA CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT THE GROUNDS FOR RECALL ARE MISFEASANCE OR NONFEESANCE OF OFFICE, IT'S CLEAR AND LEGISLATORS ARE SPECIFICALLY REFERENCES IN THAT.

WE THINK NONFEESANCE OF OFFICE MEANS ANYTHING WITH LEGISLATORS NOT SHOWING UP FOR WORK.

>> THE D.F.L.

SPEAKER SAYS IF THE NEW REPUBLICAN SPEAKER DOESN'T HONOR THEIR PREVIOUS POWERSHARING AGREEMENT DEMOCRATS WILL DENY AND STAY HOME IN THEIR DISTRICTS.

>> WE DON'T PLAN TO ENGAGE IN MALFEASANCE, ONE OF THE TACTICS A LEGISLATOR CAN USE IS DENIAL OF QUORUM.

>> REPUBLICANS PLAN TO KEEP A DEMOCRAT FROM SHAKOPEE FROM TAKING OFFICE AFTER VOTES WERE LOST IN HIS RACE.

>> KNOWING THAT THERE WERE 20 BALLOTS THROWN AWAY MEANS THAT THERE WERE 20 DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS.

EVERY VOTER SHOULD HAVE THEIR VOTE FAIRLY COUNTED.

>> IT'S A BIT IRONIC THAT ON JANUARY 6TH WE'RE TALKING ONCE AGAIN ABOUT STEALING AN ELECTION BUT IN THE REPUBLICAN PRESS CONFERENCE THEY WERE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY INTEND TO USE A TEMPORARY SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE A ONE-VOTE ADVANTAGE BUT NOT A MAJORITIES TO KICK OUT A DULY ELECTED MEMBER.

>> ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS CHAOS AT THE CAPITOL IS A BRAND NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR WHO'S PART OF A LAWSUIT ON A SPECIAL ELECTION THE GOVERNOR CALLED FOR A HOUSE SEAT.

>> I GOT INVOLVED 20 YEARS AGO AND I DIPPED MY TOE IN THE WATER AND THEN HERE I AM AS THE CHAIR.

>> YEAH, THIS IS MORE THAN DIPPING, THIS IS DIVING HEAD-FIRST.

>> YEAH, WELL, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

BUT I'LL TELL YOU I WASN'T REALLY PLANNING O DO THIS QUITE HONESTLY.

I WASN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT, IT WASN'T ANYTHING I WAS ANGLING TOWARD BUT A FEW PEOPLE I TRUST CONTACTED ME.

>> HIS FIRST BIG PRESS CONFERENCE WAS ABOUT SUING THE GOVERNOR FOR THE TIMING OF CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION, NO SMALL ACT.

>> WHEN I GOT ELECTED I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING INTO THE POLITICAL BUSINESS BUT IN FACT I GOT INTO THE FIREHOSE DRINKING BUSINESS.

>> DID YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO?

>> NO.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A BUSY START.

>> HONESTLY I KNEW SOME OF IT, I KNEW THE TECHNICAL STUFF, I'D BEEN ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND INVOLVED IN POLITICS INCLUDING RNC, BUT THE HAPPENING PARTICULARLY THIS LAST WEEK IS AN EYE-OPENER.

>> ESPECIALLY WE ARE STARING DOWN HISTORY IN THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL, POTENTIAL OF A TIED SENATE AND TIED HOUSE AND MAYBE JUST CHAOS AND STALEMATE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.

DID YOU THINK YOU'D BE SEEING THAT?

>> I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY AN ISSUE FOR THE SENATE AND HOUSE CAUCUS, THEY GOT TO BATTLE THAT OUT.

MY VIEW IS WHEN I CAME INTO THIS, IT WAS ALL BLUE, DEMOCRAT ALL THE WAY AROUND SHO NOW WE'RE BEGINNING TO NIP AT THE EDGES.

THE NATION LOOKS AT US AS BEING A BLUE STATE.

WE'RE NOT REALLY, WE ARE A RED STATE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT.

>> ARE WE PURPLE?

>> WELL, OF COURSE WE ARE, WE ARE THE VIKINGS STATE.

>> THE CHAIR IS A FORMER FOOTBALL COACH NVOLVED WITH YOUTH SPORTS ALONG WITH SERVING ON THE WAYZATA CITY COUNCIL.

>> I KEPT HEARING FOLKS SAY WE WANT A BORING CHAIR.

>> WELL, THEY GOT ONE.

>> HE OUSTED DAVID HAHN WHO VOWED TO BE BORING AFTER SCANDAL PLAGUED THE PARTY ALONG WITH POOR FUND-RAISING.

>> IF YOUR COMPETITOR OUTFUNDS YOU 8 TO 1 OR 10 TO 1 YOU'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE.

>> DO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT JOB THAN THAT NOW?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK I'M BORING.

TALK TO SOME PEOPLE.

I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY.

I'M A MARINE.

I'M A FIGHTER PILOT.

I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE BORING IN THAT CONTEXT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE AROUND ME WON'T LET ME.

>> UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP REPUBLICANS WILL WIN THE STATE.

>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M COMMITTED, CAMPAIGN STARTED YESTERDAY FOR NEXT YEAR.