Priority: Road Safety

This session, I am fighting to secure critical funding to improve safety along the Chisago County I-35 and Hwy 8 interchange. There have been several serious crashes in recent years, including 5 fatalities. Chisago County has already garnered over half the money needed for the project, and securing the rest to improve road safety is a top priority! 

Driver’s Licenses for All 

A bill to make driver’s licenses available to all Minnesotans, including illegal immigrants, is moving through the legislative process at an alarming rate. In the Senate, it has skipped critical committee jurisdiction this legislation will impact. 

The reality is illegal immigrants are on our roads right now. They are involved in our community, driving to work and taking their kids to school. However, this bill is being called a simple public safety measure. But in truth, it raises several serious concerns: 

• It poses a threat to national security. The license will be the exact same as the standard class D licenses you and I have. 
• It puts the integrity of our elections at risk. Noncitizen licenses will be identical to the real thing, so they could be used to register to vote. And because state agencies aren’t allowed to share data with the Secretary of State, there is no way to confirm that noncitizens are not voting.
• It moves us further and further away from transparency. 

I support the concept of identification for all. If we had a secure border and the licenses distinguished from regular driver’s licenses with “driving purposes only,” I could even vote for it. But this bill has significant flaws and gives illegal immigrants’ rights some citizens don’t even have. 

Tired of Random Calls? 

There are over 50 billion robocalls every year in the United States. My colleagues and I are working on legislation that aims to push back on persistent and frustrating robocalls. According to a 2020 PEW Research Survey – only 19% of adults answer their phones. Wouldn’t it be great to answer a phone call again and not have it be about your car’s extended warranty?

I Hear You Loud and Clear

I asked for your opinion on legislation to redesign our state flag in last week’s update. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to complete the survey, as it truly allows me to hear directly from you! Here is what you had to say:

I Work for You

I’m in the works of setting up town halls across our communities. If you have a location or topic in mind, I would love to hear it!

As most of you are working during the day and have busy families to tend to at night, I understand getting to St. Paul is not practical. I will be hosting Coffee with Koran at various locations throughout the district. Stay tuned for future communications on all the details. I look forward to meeting and hearing from you!