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District 23A Rep. Peggy Bennett, R-Albert Lea, said she thinks she and other House Republicans followed the law on Tuesday when they convened and elected a House speaker after DFLers boycotted the first day of session.

With the House power still unsettled until a special election in two weeks, she said there are currently 133 members, with Republicans leading 67-66.

Bennett stated the Constitution indicates a quorum is based on the number of seated members, which is currently 133, divided in half plus one, which would be 67.

Secretary of State Steve Simon, who presided over the opening session, has argued that a quorum was not met under the standards of the Constitution and state law and that there needed to be 68 members for a quorum to elect a speaker.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Simon said the House Republicans reconvened without legal authority, stating that a quorum had not been met under the standards established by the state Constitution and state law. He said he planned to file a petition with the Supreme Court to make clear to the public that the proceedings were not legitimate.

“I have made very clear to both caucuses and the public ahead of convening my legal conclusion that 68 members are required for the House to conduct business,” he said.

Bennett said as a former first-grade teacher, she always taught her students that actions have consequences. She accused the DFL Party of cheating the election and running someone who was not qualified and who didn’t live in the district he claimed.

“Now they don’t like the consequences, so they’re not going to show up,” she said, noting she didn’t like the results of the election two years ago, but she still showed up to do her job.

While much uncertainty remains, Bennett said Republicans are moving forward to organize committees. She said if the Democrats don’t come, the Republicans will have to operate without them.

“This is a budget year, and we just have a finite amount of time,” she said, although she noted that at the end of the day she knows it will take bipartisanship to pass bills.

With the current Republican majority, Bennett will serve as the chair of the Education Policy Committee and in addition will serve on the Education Finance Committee and Veterans and Military Affairs Division.

District 23B Rep. Patricia Mueller, R-Austin, will serve as the vice chair of the Education Policy Committee. She is also serving on the Education Finance and Labor and Workforce Development Finance and Policy committees.