DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell returns to Capitol after burglary charge, casts votes amid criticism

Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell returned to the State Capitol on Monday and began voting for the first time since she was arrested and charged with felony first-degree burglary. Mitchell voted on motions directly related to whether she should be allowed to vote going forward.

The first-term senator from Woodbury who allegedly broke into her stepmother's home last week to retrieve some of her late father's belongings declined to answer reporters' questions when the Senate recessed Monday morning. Some of Mitchell's DFL colleagues embraced her on the floor.

When the Senate returned from recess, Republicans offered a motion to prohibit any member who's been charged with a crime of violence from voting on bills until the chamber's ethics committee has weighed in on their case. They argued that other Minnesotans would be put on leave from their jobs if they faced such a serious criminal charge.

https://www.startribune.com/democratic-sen-nicole-mitchell-returns-to-work-at-minnesota-capitol-after-burglary-charge/600362465/