Friends and Neighbors,
I’ll keep this introduction short as there is A LOT to cover in this week’s newsletter. From proxy voting by legislators to the alleged Equal Rights Amendment, you’ll find an overview of what was covered over the last week, what is upcoming, and what I continue to work on as we push through this legislative session. Be sure to follow up by clicking on the links provided so you can learn more about the topics covered.
Use of Proxy Voting to pass Radical Legislation
The recent arrest of Senator Mitchell coincides with a concerning trend: Democrats’ reliance on proxy voting. The Democrats, clinging to a narrow 34-33 majority, are employing two strategies to maintain control and push their radical agenda without bipartisan cooperation: allowing Senator Mitchell to vote despite facing felony charges, and maintaining the practice of proxy voting.
Proxy voting, although not directly related to Senator Mitchell’s criminal actions, outlines the broader systemic issues we face as technology has advanced since our founding. It’s a method that has diluted the voice of Minnesotans represented by the minority – allowing legislators to cast votes from remote locations without requiring them to yield to questions from their colleagues or the media, both of which are pillars of good governance.
As a matter of fact, new resolution SR-079 was scheduled to be heard on April 24th but was subsequently pulled from the calendar after the incident involving Sen. Mitchell became public knowledge.
This resolution has specific language that will allow a senator to attend committee meetings/hearings from any location in the world – even while on vacation.
This is particularly concerning in a narrowly divided Senate, where Democrats need every vote. This practice, originally implemented under a state of emergency, tosses out 150 years of tradition and destroys our system of governance. Our founders did not intend for radical legislation to be passed easily. The Legislative process was designed to emote discourse and require immense effort to change state law. We must demand greater accountability and a return to the foundational principles that ensure Minnesotans’ voice is not lost.
State Employees Living Outside of Minnesota
In a recent turn of events within Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), two key figures in emergency communications management have resigned following scrutiny over an employee working in the State of Minnesota, but living full-time in Virginia. It’s concerning that we have a Minnesota State-Wide Emergency Communication Network living 1,300 miles away from the operations you are responsible for.
To me, it’s a problem when you do not have basic skin in the game, especially for such a critical service as emergency communications. Just as every city in Minnesota requires its emergency services personnel to live within an hour of proximity, the same should be required for a job that covers the entire state.
I have been focused on this issue since 2017 when I learned there was a similar situation occurring within the Department of Natural Resources where an employee was working for the State of Minnesota, but living in California. Every year since then, I have requested a breakdown of all state employees living outside of Minnesota from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB). In 2022, we found 1,159 employees living outside the state of Minnesota, and 82 of those are living in states that do not border Minnesota.
Both of the DPS employees have since stepped down, and as I always say, sunlight is the best disinfectant! Increasing transparency in our government often clears out problematic situations like these.
The full story on this issue can be found here.
Bills That Passed Out of the Senate
We had our second round of large omnibus bills make their way through the Senate last week. Below is a list of those bills with hyperlinks to each one for you to read. Remember, the first page of the bill is a summary of what the bill entails.
SF 5335— Human Services supplemental appropriations
SF 5289— Omnibus Jobs, Economic Development, supplemental appropriations
HF 3438— Deceptive trade practices definition modification to include the failure to disclose mandatory fees in advertising (going to Conference Committee)
HF 4757— Office of Cannabis Management modifications and appropriations
HF 4124— Omnibus Legacy appropriations
SF 4699— Omnibus Heath & Human Services (HHS) appropriations
Upcoming Bills
Equal Rights Amendment
The misnamed, Equal Rights Amendment, is an extremely controversial constitutional ballot measure being considered in the Legislature. Proponents claim the Amendment will stop discrimination against women, but reversely, the proposal’s consequences include: Restricting religious freedom, threatening the safety of women, and imposing gender ideology in school curricula. Below is the message posted on the Minnesota ERA website regarding their interpretation of the bill language.
It’s important to note, Minnesota developed decades worth of laws to ensure equal rights for females and males to protect from discrimination based on sex. Equality for men and women is already on the books in Minnesota, and I’m concerned this new push for the ERA looks to expand the original ERA’s intentions far beyond protections for women against discrimination. Keep in mind, the Amendment being proposed by the House is a NEW Amendment and is NOT the same Amendment that was passed last session. The new Amendment is what’s called a “delete everything amendment”. This essentially deletes the language of the entire bill/amendment that was passed last year and inserts new language under the guise of the same title. You can find the REAL language to the new Equal Rights Amendment here. I voted no against this Amendment last year and I intend to vote no again, if it makes its way to the Senate floor.
Safe Storage Bill
HF4300 is a controversial gun bill that was passed off the House Floor on May 2nd. The bill seeks to crack down on legal gun owners rather than holding criminals accountable. It aims to increase regulations on how Minnesotans must store their firearms inside their home, and it would restrict families if they face a dangerous situation where they need to defend their homes.
As a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I’m concerned with any legislation that places unnecessary barriers on law-abiding citizens. Criminalizing legal gun owners is not the direction Minnesotans want us to go. We should be focusing on increasing police, enforcing current gun laws, and holding criminals accountable in order to keep our communities safe.
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,
Minnesota Senate, District 28