Legislative UpdateDear neighbors, This week I introduced House File 16 in the Public Safety Committee. HF 16 mandates that local law enforcement cooperate with Federal Immigration Authorities when an immigrant here illegally commits a crime of violence - such as car jacking, rape, domestic assault - and not impede those efforts. My friend and testifier for the bill, Charles Thayer, told his mother's story - who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant from Cuba- who had been charged and convicted with multiple felonies before he did. She died four years ago and Charles told her story and how this bill could prevent a similar situation:  House File 16 passed out of the Public Safety Committee and will be headed to Elections Finance and Government Operations. Updates On Thursday we heard HF 24 and HF 25 on the House floor. The Supporting Women Act (HF 25) restores a grant established in 2005 called Positive Alternatives, which Democrats took away in 2023. The bill appropriates $8 million per two years to women’s pregnancy centers and maternity homes. This bill doesn’t cut anything, it simply restores funding that has always been available, ensuring women have access to all options when making important life decisions. The Born Alive Rollback (HF 24) extends legal protections to infants who are born alive after an abortion procedure. This bill would require that doctors protect the lives of infants under these adverse circumstances in the same way that they protect infants born under normal conditions. This bill is necessary because Democrats in full control of the Capitol struck language protecting these infants in state law. They enacted a bill that repealed and/or amended numerous laws relating to abortion, including the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. As you can see below, Minnesota law now states physicians should vaguely “care for” the infant, after Democrats removed the word “preserve.” Both HF 24 and 25 did not pass after a vote of 67-66 with all House Republicans voting in favor of these two bills and all House Democrats voting against. This week I worked with North Branch Superintendent Sara Paul and North Branch School Board Chair Tim MacMilan, to pass through Education Finance Committee, HF1538 to fund and strengthen teacher apprenticeship programs - which our Chisago County schools have led on, on their own. |