What's life like for a state with only one U.S. senator in Washington? Minnesotans may soon find out.
With no clear end in sight to the recount battle between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and DFLer Al Franken, and a new Congress convening in just nine days, it is looking likely that only Sen. Amy Klobuchar will be representing the state in the Senate for at least part of January.
Already, the task of keeping up with the routine demands from Minnesotans -- from requests for veterans benefits to help with home heating issues -- is becoming a problem. The state also could be one senator short when Congress and incoming President Barack Obama embark on an ambitious national agenda in January.
Klobuchar said her office has seen a doubling of requests in the past month for basic constituent services, including calls from people who say they are reluctant to contact Coleman's office because of the uncertainty of the election outcome. Should the vacancy continue, she added, she may ask for a temporary increase in staff.
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"If there were a short delay, we could weather that," said Klobuchar, a Democrat. "[But] we've already seen an uptick" in constituent requests for help.
Regardless of whether the state Canvassing Board finishes its work by Jan. 6, the first day of the 111th Congress, observers said the seat will almost certainly remain vacant for a time.
Although state law gives the governor power to fill a Senate vacancy, most thinkGov. Tim Pawlenty would likely have norole, or inclination, to plug the gap. The Senate must first declare the seat vacant, some experts say, and it is unlikely to do so amid an ongoing election dispute.
The governor's office last week said Pawlenty had the authority to appoint a senator only in the case of a permanent vacancy and did not view a temporary gap caused by the recount as applicable.