Today Senate Democrats made their public safety priorities clear by passing bills that give convicted felons on probation the right to vote no matter their crime and allow non-citizens the right to a driver’s license with no protections for our elections or national security.  

Senator Glenn Gruenhagen (R-Glencoe) issued the following statement following the passage of the two bills:

Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

Watch Sen. Gruenhagen’s comments on the driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants bill

The bill is an utter disaster. It’s not a simple fix for public safety; it’s a dangerous bill that leaves gaping holes that pose clear threats to both our national security and the security of our elections. We could have closed those gaps and improved the bill significantly, but Democrats rejected every single improvement we offered. It’s a disappointing day for our state.

Felon Voting

Watch Sen. Gruenhagen’s final floor comments on the felon voting bill

I have spent a lot of time volunteering to help criminals. I want to see them become productive members of society. But we also have to be respectful of the rule of law and think about the victims of these crimes. We should not diminish victims and the crimes committed against them. Parole is an important part of an offender’s sentence and a crucial step in their path to repaying their debt to society. We should not dismiss it lightly. An offender’s rights should only be restored once they have completed their full sentence.