LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM
REP. CAL BAHR - DISTRICT 31B
Friday, September 17th, 2021 --
Over the past few weeks, the previously intangible idea of vaccine mandates being placed on Americans was nothing more than what the left called them; conspiracy theory. Today it’s much more than just a theory; it’s our nightmare. Last month the Governor announced that all state employees would be required to be vaccinated by Sept 8th or be subject to weekly testing. Last week the President announced an unprecedented order to require private American companies with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccines or face a $14,000 fine per violation. I have received an overwhelming response from constituents concerned over these mandates. My answer is simple; I do not believe in Government mandates, and I will not vote to support any vaccine mandates in the state of Minnesota. Moreover, I am actively looking for ways to rebuke the President's unconstitutional overreach.
The issue is clear. Personal liberty trumps public hysteria and temporary populism. Power was vested in the legislature and not the hand of one ruler. Our nation was founded on the simple principle that everyone is created equal, and no government possesses the right to demine them of that. When the Government is under the thumb of outside influences or in the control of one, personal liberty is most susceptible. It is the role of the Government to defend them from threats, foreign and domestic.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." It is often used to defend personal privacy, but its true meaning can be explained from the context in which he wrote it. He was writing about a tax dispute between the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Penn family, the most powerful family in the Pennsylvania colony and its founders. The legislature was trying to tax the Penn family lands to pay for frontier defense during the French and Indian War; A war started by England and fought by Americans. And the Penn family used their power and influence to force the governor to veto this legislation. Franklin felt that this was a great affront to the ability of the legislature to govern. So, he actually meant to purchase a little “temporary safety” quite literally. The Penn family was trying to give a lump sum of money in exchange for the General Assembly acknowledging that it did not have the authority to tax it. It is a quotation that defends the authority of a legislature to govern.
The Minnesota legislature has refused to act; we are the only divided legislature in the nation and have reached an impasse. We refused to take a stand to fight the governor until it was politically convenient. We refused to examine data during the COVID pandemic to make educated choices. We refused to take a stand against masking in schools. The House and Senate have been so divided that we turned a blind eye to our Governor and his quiet quest for more control. While good legislation has progressed out of the Republican Senate, the Democrat-controlled House refuses to take up the bills in committee. Walz has managed to position himself as not only the head of the executive but the head of the legislative branch as well. Just this week Walz attempted to seize more control of the judicial process in Minnesota by changing the interpretation of the Minnesota constitution to require only a 2 to 1 vote, as opposed to unanimous consent, to issue clemency and pardons. This is no longer a fight against COVID. It’s a fight against tyranny.
Choose Freedom,
Cal Bahr
State Representative, 31B
Contact:
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact my office or me. If you have other needs, please email my Legislative Assistant, Grayson, at Grayson.mcnew@house.mn.
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