Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The “universal background check” and “red flag” bills continued moving through the process this week – both were heard in the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division. One of the testifiers was Minneapolis Reverend Tim Christopher, who testified that these gun control bills will not do anything to keep his community safe. I’ve included that video in the link below – it’s definitely worth watching! These bills are supposed to address the problem of gun violence, but all they do is create more hoops to jump through for law-abiding citizens. Criminals who are intent on doing harm will just continue to ignore the law.
Reverend Tim Christopher's testimony on gun control bills
Last night, we voted on a bill that would put the Equal Rights Amendment on the ballot during the 2020 general election. This same type of amendment has been used in other states to bring lawsuits aimed at expanding taxpayer funded abortion. Because of this, I voted no.
Next Wednesday, Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles will release a report of his investigation into the Child Care Assistance Program fraud that was brought to light in several news reports last year. I look forward to getting some concrete answers on what is happening and how we can make sure that CCAP money is being spent wisely and only going to the families that truly need it.
Today is International Women’s Day! I have long been an advocate for women and girls, especially on the subject of female genital mutilation (FGM). It is an appalling practice and has no place in the United States or anywhere else. I will be speaking about it on a panel at the United Nations on March 18th, and I look forward to educating even more people about why FGM must be stopped.
Please Contact Me
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached via phone at 651-296-3201 or by email at rep.mary.franson@house.mn.
It’s an honor to represent the best!
