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 Mark Koran (R-North Branch) issued the following statement following the passage of the two bills:

Driver’s Licenses for Non-citizens

I support the concept of driver’s licenses for all. If we had a secure border and if the licenses were distinguished from regular driver’s licenses, I could even vote for it. But the bill that Democrats passed today has too many flaws that put our national security and our elections at risk. 

Felon Voting

Minnesota has low incarceration rates because we grant parole to offenders at an early stage. But parole should not be dismissed – it is an essential part of an offender’s sentence and a necessary step in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. I have received a lot of feedback about this issue, and it’s clear that folks believe voting rights should not be restored until an offender has completed their entire sentence.