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Dear Friends,
This week was a busy one at the Capitol.
On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee heard some of the most controversial bills that the Democrats are pushing this session. We first heard the PRO Act which is the abortion bill that the Democrat majority is quickly moving. This is an extreme bill that allows abortions up until birth. I offered an amendment that would prohibit partial birth abortions and third trimester abortions except for in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother. Even though abortion is a polarizing issue, the majority of Minnesotans can agree that these practices should not be allowed except under those rare circumstances. Though many may see this as a commonsense amendment, the Democrats would not accept it.
The other bill we heard was HF 4, a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. One of my major concerns with this bill was its implications for our elections since, not only will these drivers licenses look like the non-REAL ID drivers license that I have, but the bill allowed for no mechanism to check those that get these licenses against the voter rolls or otherwise validate a licensee’s eligibility to vote. I offered an amendment in committee to require the Secretary of State to have access to the driver’s license information that CAN validate a person’s eligibility to vote. I am pleased that my commonsense amendment was adopted, but I have several concerns with this bill, especially the data practices issues it raises.
The Democrats are moving at record speed to pass their radical agenda. While my Republican colleagues and I will do everything we can to stop these extreme ideas from becoming law, the reality is the Democrats have a trifecta with the Governor, House, and Senate being in their control. I hope we can eventually come together to focus on the issues that Minnesotans care about the most, especially on tax relief, giving the surplus back, and public safety.
As an FYI, the Small Business Administration is now accepting applications for the Veterans Small Business Certification Program. The federal government annually awards a portion of their contracts to veteran-owned businesses. This is a great opportunity for veterans in our community. You can learn more and apply here.
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