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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer, Gracie Stockton and Alanna Elder

As repeat looms, former house speaker, journalist recall 1979 state House split

side by side of a man and a woman
Former House Speaker Steve Sviggum and retired political reporter Lori Sturdevant.
Laura McCallum | MPR News and Courtesy image

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The Minnesota DFL Party is poised to lose its trifecta — and the state House of Representatives could face a 67-67 gridlock for the first time in 45 years.

In Jan. 1979, the chamber convened in gridlock. At the time, former House Speaker Steve Sviggum had begun his first term as a Republican representative representing the Kenyon area, and retired journalist Lori Sturdevant was freshly covering politics full-time for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Each party held 67 seats for five months that resulted in a unique Band-Aid-like power-sharing agreement.

Sviggum and Sturdevant both spoke with MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer Wednesday morning to recall their lived experience of the split House — as history is poised to repeat itself.