Palmer’s troubles began with a lawsuit alleging unfair campaign practices. It seems his father, Duluth Budgeteer shopper-newspaper owner/publisher Herbert Palmer, was only too happy in August 1970 to publish accusations of special-interest dealing by Palmer’s opponent, incumbent Liberal Sen. Francis “Frenchy” LaBrosse. Frenchy sued, saying the charges were false, defamatory and a violation of state campaign law.
Further: Palmer told voters that he would caucus with whichever party held the Senate majority. As his bad luck would have it, the Senate wound up divided 33-33 plus Palmer, who then announced that he would made it 34-33 for the Conservatives. (Party designation would not begin at the Legislature until 1973.)
The courts punted LaBrosse’s campaign-practices lawsuit to the Senate. That gave Senate Liberals, led by the legendary Nicholas Coleman, the pretext they needed on Jan. 5, 1971, to refuse to administer the oath of office to Palmer and, when he apparently took the oath anyway, to refuse to allow him to vote on the appointment of the Senate’s top administrator.
If Palmer could not vote, could a 33-33 tie be broken? Yes, by the Senate’s presiding officer, claimed that officer — DFL Lt. Gov. and future Gov. Rudy Perpich, Coleman’s co-conspirator in this ploy.
Senate Conservatives howled that Perpich had exceeded his authority, both in attempting to deny Palmer the oath of office and in casting a tie-breaking vote. In a 6-1 decision on Jan. 13, 1971, the state Supreme Court agreed. A week of confusion and chaos was over. By mid-February, the campaign-practices charge against Palmer was settled with a published apology in the Budgeteer.
Minnesotans will do well if this year’s drama over House control concludes as quickly and quietly.
