|
Dear Neighbors,
On Monday, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation that will allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a Class D Minnesota driver?s license. According to estimates, nearly 81,000 individuals in Minnesota would be able to apply for a license.
I voted ?no? on the bill.
My chief concern with the bill was that there were zero provisions or guardrails in the bill to make sure that undocumented immigrants could not use a new driver?s license to vote. There were several amendments that were offered during debate on Monday evening that would have required written disclaimers on these driver?s licenses that would have made clear that they could not be used for voting purposes. Unsurprisingly, House Democrats voted these amendments down.
There are other concerns regarding what this bill could do to the already unacceptable backlog of driver?s exams and road tests that we have all been dealing with for some time.
I encourage you to reach out to your senator and respectfully ask them to vote against this bill.
Fight for Integrity in Sports
Yesterday was National Women and Girls in Sports Day. To that end, I recently introduced legislation that would require high school athletes to participate on sports teams in accordance with their biological sex. You can read the bill text here: https://bit.ly/3X1Pc4Z
In recent years, there have been examples around the nation of biological boys competing in girls sports at the high school and college levels. This is fundamentally unfair to athletes that have spent years training and competing.
This is a simple bill that makes sure that males compete against males and vice versa for females.
Looking Ahead
Today, four gun control bills will receive their first hearings in the House Public Safety Committee. This is the first of what is likely to be several committee stops for these bills. Here is a brief rundown for the four bills that will be heard today:
The bills that will be heard will be:
- Universal Background Checks aka Universal Gun Registration
- Red Flag Gun Confiscation Orders
- Safe Storage requirements
- Mandatory lost & stolen firearm reporting
As a strong defender of your 2nd Amendment rights, I will always oppose bills that would infringe on the rights of law-abiding folks. I will do my best to keep you updated on these bills as they move through the legislative process.
Local Happenings
Thanks to local folks that visited St. Paul this week including those of you from ABATE and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. It was great to meet with you! Reminder, if you plan on being in St. Paul anytime this year, make sure to set up time to meet at my office.
Also, I encourage you to attend the 34th annual Farm Toy Show in Sauk Centre. This year?s show is scheduled for Saturday, February 11th from 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM. As always, proceeds go towards providing a scholarship to a local student that is going into the agricultural sector. Visit this website for more information: https://bit.ly/40o6dJy?
Finally, make sure to tune into KEYL radio in Long Prairie on Thursday and Friday mornings this year as I give updates on what?s happening in St. Paul.
Staying in Touch
As always, it is critical that you communicate to me any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have. Please never hesitate to reach out to me whether it?s via phone or email. I can be reached at 651-296-4293 or via email at?[email protected]. It would be an honor to speak with you.
Until next time, have a great weekend,
Mike
|
