The Minnesota Senate today approved 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 Bill Lieske (R-Lonsdale) issued the following statement following the passage of the two bills:

“Both of these bills are good, compassionate ideas. But the devil is in the details, and the reality is that neither of these bills are good for Minnesotans. If an offender has served their time and repaid their debt to society, then they absolutely should have their voting rights restored. But parole is an important part of serving ones’ time and we shouldn’t dismiss it. Most of the feedback I have received from constituents has been that those rights should be forfeited until the sentence is completed, including parole.

“The Driver’s Licenses for All bill is especially concerning. I have heard from a lot of folks who support the idea of providing driver’s licenses to noncitizens. There are definitely benefits, but the way this bill is written creates a national security risk and raises concerns about the integrity of our elections.”