New rule could allow breastfeeding in Minnesota Senate chamber after senator says baby was "kicked out" earlier this month

The Minnesota Senate Rules Committee on Thursday afternoon will hear a proposal to change a rule that would permit young children on the chamber floor and allow breastfeeding and formula feeding.

The proposal comes after DFL Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten said her baby, Leo, was "kicked out" of the chamber.

"Apparently you cannot bring babies on the Senate floor and they will actually enforce it and kick them out," she said in a social media video on March 5. She said her child was on the floor for all of 10 minutes. 

The existing rule applies "even for new moms who are still breastfeeding," said Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, who also appears in the video.

The change would allow for young children to be admitted with the approval of the caucus leader. 

The Rules Committee would be the first stop for the change; if it moves forward, it would go to the Senate for a full vote in order to make it official.

The hearing begins at 3 p.m.

This story will be updated.