GOP Reps. Engen, Hudson to be stripped of committee assignments following DWI incident

Republican Reps. Elliott Engen of White Bear Township and Walter Hudson of Albertville will be stripped of their committee assignments following a March 27 DWI incident during which Engen was arrested, according to legislative sources who were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The move by House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Springs, is just the latest fallout after Engen was arrested in White Bear Lake on suspicion of driving while impaired around 2 a.m. on March 27, and officers charged him with a DWI. Hudson was a passenger in Engen’s truck, and police said Hudson was impaired while carrying his handgun — a misdemeanor in Minnesota. Police did no screening tests on Hudson, so he will not be charged for carrying while impaired due to the lack of evidence. Police that night confiscated Hudson’s 9mm Smith & Wesson.

The duo will no longer serve on the House’s public safety, judiciary and education finance committees for the rest of the legislative session, which ends on May 18. Hudson will no longer be on the House fraud committee and Engen will no longer sit on the House rules committee.

Engen and Hudson did not immediately respond to the Reformer’s request for comment.


https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/04/06/gop-reps-engen-hudson-to-be-stripped-of-committee-assignments-following-dwi-incident/