MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell returned to the State Capitol and began casting votes on Monday for the first time since she was arrested and charged with felony first-degree burglary.

Mitchell, a first-term senator from Woodbury, declined to answer reporters' questions when the Senate recessed on 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. Mitchell joined Democrats in voting to block the motion.

Republicans argued other Minnesotans would be put on leave from their jobs if they faced such a serious criminal charge.

"Her actions have brought the Senate into dishonor. Her actions have brought the Senate into disrepute," Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said of Mitchell.

Democrats argued the motion was out of order and lacked a constitutional basis. Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, ruled it out of order.

Republicans then appealed Champion's ruling, but their motion failed. All Democrats voted to uphold Champion's decision, with Mitchell casting the deciding vote that kept her ability to vote intact.

Mitchell was arrested last week and charged with burglary after she allegedly broke into her stepmother's home to take some of her late father's belongings, including his ashes. Police found Mitchell in the basement of the Detroit Lakes home dressed in black with a flashlight covered by a black sock. The senator told police she entered the home through a sliding basement window, according to charging documents.

Over the weekend, the Senate DFL Caucus decided to remove Mitchell from legislative committee assignments and caucus meetings. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Nick Frentz told the Star Tribune that Mitchell is expected to participate in votes.

DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said in a statement Sunday that "This is a tragic situation, and there are still questions that need to be answered."

Senate Republicans have filed an ethics complaint against Mitchell. A hearing about the complaint is scheduled for May 7. GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson said removing Mitchell from committees "is not enough."

"This half-hearted punishment is a partisan effort to protect a political agenda and allow Sen. Mitchell to be the deciding vote on the Senate floor," Johnson said in a statement Sunday.

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