Last month, we posted how Kiffmeyer, Draz & other state lawmakers outdo Emmer, wanted Minnesota added to Texas lawsuit:
. . .[Mary] Kiffmeyer and six other state senators, along with eight house members, go one step further, asking the Texas Attorney general to add Minnesota and Steve Simon as a very naughty, naughty Secretary of State. From the New House Republican Caucus Facebook page:
Our four caucus members, Reps. Drazkowski, Munson, Miller, and Bahr together with 4 other House members and 7 Senators, sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urging him to include Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in his lawsuit challenging the settlements he entered into which changed Minnesota's election laws without legislative approval prior to the 2020 Primary and General Elections. . . .
As the Texas Tribune reported, the U.S. Supreme Court [threw] out Texas lawsuit contesting 2020 election results in four battleground states.
So much for bad intentions on the part of some Minnesota Republican state lawmakers.
Update: We've received a PDF of the letter:
Letter uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
Reading the Journal of the House for Tuesday, we noticed that eight DFL representatives registered their protest and dissent against this behavior. From the tail end of the journal:
PROTEST AND DISSENT
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 11 of the Minnesota Constitution, we the undersigned members of the Minnesota House of Representatives register our protest and dissent against eight members of the Minnesota House of Representatives for their endorsement of a seditious, unfounded, and divisive lawsuit brought by the State of Texas in a vain attempt to nullify the fair, lawful, and appropriate election of President-elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
On December 10, 2020, the below mentioned members caused to be sent to the Honorable Ken Paxton, Attorney General of the State of Texas, a letter endorsing the lawsuit brought by that State, and in this letter impugned both the State of Minnesota and its duly elected Secretary of State. The letter said:
"Considering the totality of the circumstances, we believe that Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon knowingly and deliberately conducted an illegal election by virtue of his manipulation of the law. As legislators, we were dismissed and our authority was overruled by an individual that was not interested in following the law."
This statement was made without evidence, was incorrect either as a statement of fact or of law, and brought dishonor upon the members who made this statement.
The 2020 election in Minnesota was conducted with the highest probity, skill, and accuracy. This is a statement of fact. To deny this statement is itself a moment of dishonor in the career of these elected officials.
These members were:
Representative Steve Drazkowski
Representative Jeremy Munson
Representative Tim Miller
Representative Cal Bahr
Representative Eric Lucero
Representative Mary Franson
Representative Glenn Gruenhagen
Representative Shane Mekeland
We the undersigned find the behavior of these members reprehensible, and their endorsement of a lawsuit rejected by the entirety of the Supreme Court of the United States of America as a sad and divisive moment that was harmful to the sound workings of the American polity. We urge these members and their supporters to repent of their foolish statements, acquaint themselves with the basic facts of fair elections, and to apologize in the total fullness of the knowledge of their graceless lack of honest, comity, and wisdom.
RICK HANSEN TINA LIEBLING
JAMIE BECKER-FINN PETER FISCHER
FUE LEE JENNIFER SCHULTZ
SYDNEY JORDAN RUTH RICHARDSON
Here's the letter to which those protesting and dissenting object:
Bravo for those registering a protest and dissent to the letter to Paxton.
Related post:
"Goose Poop" Backer asks MN Attorney General to join TX lawsuit; Ellison had other plans
Photo: The Minnesota House Chamber during October's special session,
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