Will she vote remotely from jail?
KVRR and other news outlets are reporting that Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) has been arrested in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Detroit Lakes is the county seat of Becker County and sits some 217 miles from her Woodbury home.
Specifically, she was booked on 1st-degree burglary, a felony, for violating Minnesota Statute Chapter 609.582. The alleged burglary occurred at a private home and was reported by the homeowner. as reported by KFGO.
According to the Becker County jail roster, Mitchell was booked today on 1st-degree burglary and is currently in custody. She has not been formally charged in the case.
Her state senate bio indicates that she is currently an Air Force officer and holds a law degree.
Currently, Democrats hold a one-seat majority (34-33) in the state senate. The senate is in recess until Wednesday at noon. Current senate rules (40.7 and 40.8) allow a member to vote remotely, through a proxy. There does not appear to be any prohibition against voting from jail or prison.
Her vote will be needed to break any ties in the state senate.
Mitchell is serving in her first term, elected in 2022. She prevailed in that race by more than 6,800 votes and her term runs through the end of 2026.