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Legislative Update - Rep. Steve Drazkowski - 2.21.22

Monday, February 21, 2022

Congressman Jim Hagedorn  

By now, many of you have probably heard the news about the passing of Congressman Jim Hagedorn. Jim was a good friend of mine, and he loved our country. My statement from February 18th on Jim’s passing is below:

“This morning, along with the rest of Minnesota, I learned that Congressman Jim Hagedorn has passed away. 

This news came as a shock particularly because Jim had fought his cancer diagnosis so bravely. Always a true patriot, Jim served the people of Minnesota’s First Congressional District to the very end. As a friend of his, I know that the district is so much better for Jim’s service. In the midst of some of the most trying times for our country, Jim always served with courage and strength.

My heart goes out to Jennifer and their family and wider circle of friends. My thoughts are also with his constituents who have lost a good man who served them well.”

Election Integrity  

Two weeks ago, the House State Government Committee heard several Democrat bills that are seeking to weaken the integrity of our elections. First, we heard HF 3024. This bill would automatically send out absentee ballots to every eligible voter in the state. Normally, an individual needs to request an application for an absentee ballot, fill it out, and wait to receive their absentee ballot.

This process allows officials with the Secretary of State’s office to determine whether this person is eligible to vote. Furthermore, this process ensures that absentee ballots are being sent to the proper individuals. However, HF 3024 would totally change that process. Instead of keeping proper checks and balances, this legislation would automatically send hundreds of thousands of ballots across Minnesota with no process to verify whether the right people are receiving these ballots.

As you can imagine, this would certainly lead to mischief and manipulation. I brought these points up during the hearing in the State Government Committee. Please see the below video for the full exchange on this issue:

Rep. Drazkowski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIJ0K4yLDlc

We already know that ballot harvesting has occurred in Minneapolis. Back in 2020, Liban Mohamed took a video of himself driving around in his car with roughly 300 absentee ballots. Why is any individual driving around with 300 ballots?! Your ballot is meant for you and you alone. Any ballot harvesting scheme like the one that Liban Mohamed was involved in severely damages the integrity of our elections. Unfortunately, bills like HF 3024 will only turn ballot harvesting into an industry.

As your legislator, you can count on me to fight every one of these insane Democrat elections bill. My goal has always been to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Steve Drazkowski