Friends and neighbors,
Wanted to give you a brief update on two issues I have been hearing about a lot around our district.
As you probably know, Senator Mitchell, a Democrat from Woodbury, is facing a serious felony burglary charge. It has raised significant ethical and legitimacy questions about our work here. My Republican colleagues and I firmly believe a senator under such an ethical cloud should not be casting deciding votes on Senate business – especially on motions related to her own case or controversial, partisan bills. We have taken steps to prevent this, including a motion calling for her resignation until the investigation concludes. Unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues have rejected these efforts, seemingly prioritizing their one-vote majority above all.
The path forward should be one of bipartisanship. Instead of relying on Senator Mitchell’s vote, Democrats should help us protect the integrity of the Senate by tossing out controversial items and passing bipartisan bills we can all get behind. This approach can work, as we have seen with the successful agriculture bill earlier this year.
Another area of concern that many of you have raised is gun control proposals. These measures largely target law-abiding gun owners rather than addressing the real issue of crimes committed with firearms. They place undue burdens on responsible citizens while undermining our Second Amendment rights.
The House of Representatives has passed several of these bills already. The path in the Senate is considerably more difficult – there are a few senators in 50/50 districts that have not indicated how they will vote. But if they choose to vote in favor of these gun control bills, will Democrats once again rely on Senator Mitchell’s deciding vote?
Passing controversial bills under these circumstances facing the Senate raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the process. I strongly believe that a senator facing felony charges should abstain from casting the deciding vote on these highly divisive issues. As long as she continues to vote on these bills, I will not vote alongside her.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Minnesota Senate, District 58