For discussion today are the bills related to elections. There are quite a few that are being proposed.

One example is SF173:  Election voter registration photo ID requirement; voter identification care creation; provisional ballots establishment; appropriation.

If you go here you can see the history of the bill and where it has been discussed in committee.  

The Senate bill has a House companion bill, HF 293

Obviously this bill is going to affect voters who are disenfranchised, the elderly, young students, the homeless, and many others who are not able to get a photo ID. The Bill in the Senate has been referred to the finance committee. You can see the report in the Senate daily journal. 

The companion bill HF293 has not moved nearly as far in the committees. These are bills to watch and to discuss with your elected officials.

Another one of concern would make the ballots cast by those who register on the same day that they vote as provisional ballots. This one does not have a companion bill but it is indicative of where Republicans want to go with voting rights.

Republicans are working at making it difficult to vote in Minnesota. The hope is that our democratic legislators and governor can for the moment stem the tide of these laws. However, it is important to note that they will try again and again in small and large ways to chip at the rights of voters.

There are also numerous bills presented by Democrats to make voting easier. These senators need to hear from us as well to let them know we approve of making voting easier and more accessible to a wider population.  

Those bills can be found in the Senate digest of popular bills.  They are grouped by topic. Feel free to look them over, click on them, see where they are at and where they are going and if you wish to testify, check out the committee schedule so that you can provide testimony when these bills are presented.  

--Patricia Parez-Jenkins, Issues, and Programs Director, SD53