In polarized times, these Minnesota legislators want to restore civility at the state Capitol

Late last month, Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, met up with some fellow legislators at a burger place in St. Paul. It was a mix of Democrats and Republicans from both chambers.

“It’s fun because I go and I see people that I know. I meet new folks, I learn about them, their families and their personal lives,” he said. 

The event was organized by Duckworth and other leaders of the Civility Caucus. The group is united in the belief that personal relationships are the secret ingredient for getting things done.

“It’s a lot more difficult to be anything less than civil and respectful to someone who you know,” Duckworth said. “And it’s those relationships that you build outside the Capitol that allow for those kinds of conversations that help you move stuff across the finish line.”

For example, last session, Duckworth said that members of the caucus helped pass a bipartisan bill involving use-of-force standards for school resource officers. He credits his civility mindset for a good working relationship with the chair of Senate Higher Education Committee in a narrowly divided chamber. 

But Duckworth said the Civility Caucus’s work this session is especially relevant now, after the House GOP and DFL started the session by fighting publicly and in the courts over who had power. An upcoming special election is expected to divide the House down the middle.

Those partisan squabbles at the start of the session could delay passing a budget. 

“I’m less optimistic that we’re going to get it done by the timeline we should get it done,” he said. “I could give you a fiery sound bite, but I’m not going to.”

Swing districts demand middle ground

The Civility Caucus has been around since 2017 and is led by one Democrat and one Republican in each chamber. Its work is supported by the state’s Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution. 

Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, is Duckworth’s counterpart. Elected in 2022, Hauschild narrowly won his Iron Range district. He said representing an even mix of liberals and conservatives requires finding middle ground at the legislature. 

“In the districts that are tighter like mine, we really need to make sure that we’re hearing all the voices,” Hauschild said. “And while the Civility Caucus is not necessarily driven by policy outcomes, it is an indirect way of bringing people together to find common interests, understand one another, get to know one another, and to then eventually lay the groundwork for working together across the aisle.”

This work is even harder than it used to be because voters tend to sort themselves geographically based on their political affiliation, Hauschild said. And that affects how politicians do business at the Capitol.  

“When you have a whole caucus that really represents a particular geography, you start to be in a bubble of voices within that caucus,” Hauschild said. “That’s why I think our politics has become so jaded. People just aren’t even talking to each other or understanding where their voters and their people are coming from.”

Civility rarely makes headlines

Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton, is one of the Civility Caucus leads in the House. Her counterpart Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, did not respond to MPR News’ requests for an interview. 

As a self-described progressive, Feist said civility rarely makes headlines. And it can sometimes be viewed as selling out.

“When I talk about bipartisanship and dialog and civility, I am not talking about everyone coming to this middle place where we pass only the most moderate legislation,” she said. “But I believe that when we communicate with one another, we can understand one another, and we can have a healthier, more productive body.”

Feist recalled when a Republican colleague called her out on Twitter for her views on policing and kids. 

“I went to him immediately, because we had volunteered at Second Harvest Heartland together,” she said. “We had scooped chickpeas for like two hours and built a rapport.”

They had an offline conversation. Feist said it was positive and enlightening, even though they still don’t agree on the same policies. 

On a recent afternoon on the House floor, Feist chatted with a colleague across the aisle, Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar. He shared some concerns about how a new paid family leave requirement will affect small businesses like his own.

“I think we need to have our last chance to talk about what could be possible adjustments to this so that small businesses can actually get behind it a bit more,” he said. 

Feist also owns a small business and thinks paid family leave could still be beneficial. 

“I feel like there are huge benefits, and I look forward to talking about the challenges,” she promised. 

And then the conversation turned to the next Civility Caucus meeting.

“Karaoke or something corny like that,” Baker offered. “But if I am going to go karaoke, I’m singing with you, because with your talent, I want a good country song. Let’s do that.”

Feist agreed: Karaoke sounded like a great idea. 

Correction (March 4, 2025): An earlier version of this story misspelled Omar Fateh’s last name in some photo captions.

• An Ely group agrees on the value of the Boundary Waters — but they can’t agree on mining
• Ready to Depolarize? Try ‘Walk a Mile in My News’
• Introducing Talking Sense: Have hard political conversations, better.