Koran Update: Elections Policy Omnibus Bill & More

Friends and Neighbors,

Last week was a big week on the Senate floor.  Not only did we cover an insurance bill for public employees and the Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act, we also voted on the Elections Policy Omnibus bill.  It was a monster of a bill with over 100 changes to law so a majority of this newsletter will be dedicated to highlighting important points you need to be aware of related to elections.  But, as always, please make sure to follow up by reading the bill!  It’s the best source of information and lays out exactly what the law will be moving forward into the next election season.

Elections Policy Omnibus Bill

HF 4772, the Elections policy omnibus bill, was a very large bill containing 102 changes to current law.  As the ranking minority leader on the Elections Committee, I am passionate about ensuring our elections deliver integrity and transparency to Minnesota elections.

Unfortunately, many of the changes passed into law on Thursday add costly burdens to local governments, reduce community representation in local elections, and undermine the integrity and transparency of our elections in this state. This bill was nothing short of hyper-partisan and further degrades public trust and accountability. We should be focused on solutions that increase citizen transparency, integrity, and participation.

Among the more concerning changes in the bill is a change that allows school boards to fill vacancies with an appointment for as long as two years. This change prevents voters from choosing their elected school board representatives and significantly reduces public input in the electoral process.

The legislation also changes the voter registration process for homeless Minnesotans. If enacted, they can simply mark a place on a map where they generally reside and cast their vote for that precinct without any accountability or verification process. Currently, any voter who registers before election day must verify their physical address.

Senate Republicans offered several amendments to protect the integrity of election results and increase participation. Among them was the establishment of provisional ballots for voters who register on Election Day. Provisional ballots are used in 47 other states to ensure voters who register on Election Day are validated the same way as a voter who registers prior to the election, and before counting their vote in the final election results. Provisional ballots are a commonsense measure to improve election integrity and enhance voter confidence in Minnesota’s elections process. Minnesota is an outlier in the nation with this simple, trusted process. For years, Democrats have prevented the use of provisional ballots, even as other states are adding them. Other amendments offered by Senate Republicans include:

• Prohibiting political parties from collecting or soliciting financial contributions during the legislative session to prevent special interests from buying influence.
• Preventing non-governmental groups from paying for election-related expenses through so-called, “Zucker bucks” to keep elections free of outside influence.
• Banning political spending by organizations that receive state funding to ensure tax dollars are being spent responsibly and not used in a pay-to-play scheme.
• Requiring municipal and school board elections be held in general election years to increase voter participation.

The amendments were defeated along party lines. Historically, our governors – Carlson, Pawlenty, Dayton – have followed a tradition that election laws would not be passed unless there was bi-partisan support. As we’ve seen with this democrat, single-party-controlled administration, tradition means very little.

In my closing argument I made on the Senate floor, I cited some statistics found in a Rasmussen report just released on April 16, 2024. Why did I find it so important? Because no matter if you’re DFL, GOP, or Independent, the poll found that 28% of likely US voters would engage in at least one kind of illegal voting if it was the only way to stop an opposing candidate from winning.

That means nearly 45 million ballots may be fraudulently cast nationwide.  In a time when we should be ensuring our elections are free and available but secure, I believe we are going in the opposite direction.  You can find the complete Rasmussen poll here and my closing statements here.

Community Bulletin Board

Free Small Business Webinars 

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) recently released a list of webinars available that are focused on assisting those getting a jumpstart in the realm of small business or for those looking to rocket their small business to success.  Best of all – they are all free!  You can find their webinar library here, but here’s just a few to highlight what they are offering:

May 30: How to Create a Marketing Plan for Your Small Business

Contact Me

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out!  I truly believe I’m a better legislator when I hear your feedback.  I can be reached via email at Sen.Mark.Koran@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-5419.  My Legislative Assistant, Melissa Field, is also a great resource if you need assistance!  She can be reached at Melissa.Field@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-6200.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in the community soon!

Sincerely,

Mark W. Koran

Minnesota Senate, District 28