DFL PUTS ILLEGAL ALIENS AHEAD OF MINNESOTANS
NOTE: DFL = Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the state chapter of the national Democrat Party

The average House DFLers cast two dozen votes that put privileges and benefits for illegal aliens ahead of Minnesota citizens in 2007 and 2008. Here are the facts.

Illegal aliens do place extreme costs on Minnesota taxpayers - - in terms of crime, health care, schools, tax burdens, and social benefits.

According to the Department of Corrections, there are over 500 foreign-born felons in Minnesota prisons - - for murder, child molestation, drug-pushing, rape, armed robbery, and other serious and violent crimes. One out of every 16 felons we pay to guard is not from America. It is estimated that more than 10,000 more alien criminals are in our local jails or county probation systems. [1]

Health care costs for illegal aliens are also massive. By federal law, Minnesota hospitals must provide very expensive emergency medical care to undocumented aliens. Lenient medical facilities frequently provide more than the minimum services, and pass the cost along, either to working Minnesotans who have health insurance or to the taxpayers who reimburse hospitals for "charity care." A 2005 report to the Governor estimates that such expenses exceeded $17 million in FY 2005. [2]

Students are taught in over 90 languages in the Minneapolis school district, and illegal aliens have over 14,000 children in Minnesota schools. [3] Until the House DFLers took control in 2007, school districts received extra state funds to make students proficient in English for five years, and then had to pass the burden for teaching them English to local taxpayers. That incentive to teach students to speak English within five years has been eliminated by the new House DFL majority. [4]

Minnesota taxpayers also pay for social welfare benefits for illegal aliens. [5]

The primary duty for dealing with the issue of illegal aliens indeed does rest with the federal government. But almost every time that even small local action was proposed, House DFLers took the side of illegal aliens over taxpaying Minnesotans.

For example, when four schoolchildren were killed when a van hit a school bus, it took police days to probe through the false identities of the illegal alien who was pulled from the van. House Republicans proposed the modest idea of cracking down harder on the people who provide false documents used to get driver's licenses for illegal aliens. The bill did not even get to the House floor. [6] In fact, House DFLers even voted against requiring that the test for a Minnesota driver's license be given in English. [7]

01. DRIVING RIGHTS AND ALIENS

DRIVER'S TESTS IN ENGLISH: House DFLers rejected an amendment that would have required the Office of Driver and Vehicle Services to administer the driving test only in English. [8]

GAS DISCOUNTS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: When House DFLers voted to give tax credits on the new gas tax to low-income Minnesotans, they rejected an amendment that would have excluded illegal aliens from the gas tax credit. [9]

WHEN VISAS EXPIRE: House DFLers suppressed an amendment that would have required drivers' licenses of immigrants to include the phrase "status check" so that police would know to inquire whether the immigrant had a visa and whether the visa had expired. This practice is being followed now by executive order, but that could be reversed by the next Governor if it is not enacted into law. [10]

02. CRIME

DON'T TURN IN ALIEN CRIMINALS: House DFLers suppressed an amendment that would have required the Minnesota Department of Corrections to report to the federal Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the identity of any Minnesota convicts whose immigration status could not be determined. [11]

DON'T REPORT ALIEN CRIMINALS: House DFLers cynically supported another attempt to identify illegal aliens in Minnesota prisons and jails, and then gutted that proposal by supporting a version of the bill which excluded the amendment. [12]

03. SANCTUARY CITIES

Minneapolis and St. Paul have local rules which prohibit police from asking about the immigration status of suspicious people, even if they have to talk to the people through an interpreter. As a result of these two "sanctuary city" ordinances, crime and violence are highest in immigrant-dominated neighborhoods. Minneapolis and St. Paul have sent hundreds of violent felons to state prisons and thousands to county jails, but local police have very low "solve rates" on serious crime. Thousands of crimes could be prevented is "sanctuary city ordinances" were repealed and police were able to inquire about illegal aliens before they committed shocking crimes that are tolerated in the name of "political correctness" in the two major cities.

Note that police leaders (controlled by liberal mayors and city councils) support the "sanctuary city ordinances" with claims that otherwise law-abiding illegal aliens are willing to report crimes because they will not be probed about their status. But rank-and-file police officers and citizen activists have testified that crime would be lower in ravaged neighborhoods if police could ask about the immigration status of people who are perceived to be suspicious.

DON'T EVEN CONSIDER A BILL TO REPEAL SANCTUARY LAWS: House DFLers suppressed a motion that would have allowed Floor consideration of a bill to prohibit cities from maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." [13]

DON'T CUT OFF STATE AID TO "SANCTUARY CITIES": By one vote, House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have cut off state payments to cities that insisted on maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." The amendment would have distributed those funds to cities that did not insist on such laws. [14]

DON'T CUT HALF OF STATE AID TO "SANCTUARY CITIES": By one vote, House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have cut half of state payments to cities that insisted on maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." The amendment would have distributed those funds to cities that did not insist on such laws. [15]

DON'T BAR MINNEAPOLIS FROM MAINTAINING "SANCTUARY LAWS": On a bill to allow Minneapolis to create its own non-profit organization to develop its waterfront, House DFLers suppressed an amendment that would have barred Minneapolis from maintaining its full set of "sanctuary city ordinances." [16]

DON'T BAR MINNEAPOLIS FROM MAINTAINING "SANCTUARY LAWS": On a bill to allow Minneapolis to create its own non-profit organization to develop its waterfront, House DFLers suppressed an amendment that would have barred Minneapolis from maintaining its policy of prohibiting city employees from asking about the immigration status of individuals. [17]

04. VOTING RIGHTS

The House DFLers did not pass Rep. Phyllis Kahn's bill to would have allowed illegal aliens to vote in local elections. [18] But they did resist every Republican effort to make it harder for illegal aliens to vote in Minnesota elections.

DON'T REQUIRE PHOTO I.D. AT THE POLLS IN 2007: House DFLers suppressed a 2007 amendment that would have required voters to show photo identification at the polls, even though the amendment would have provided free I.D. cards to those who could not have or afford drivers' licenses. [19]

DON'T REQUIRE PHOTO I.D. AT THE POLLS IN 2008: House DFLers suppressed a 2008 amendment that would have required voters to show photo identification at the polls, even though the amendment would have provided free I.D. cards to those who could not have or afford drivers' licenses. [20]

EVEN IF THE SUPREME COURT SAYS "OKAY": Even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that states could require voters to show photo identification at the polls, House DFLers suppressed a third amendment that would have required voters to show photo identification at the polls, even though the amendment would have provided free I.D. cards to those who could not have or afford drivers' licenses. [21]

DON'T REQUIRE I.D. FOR VOTERS WHO ARE NOT EVEN REGISTERED: House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have required unregistered voters to show photo I.D. when they showed up at the polls, and would have held back their ballots until their identities could be verified. [22]

DON'T REQUIRE OATHS BY UNDOCUMENTED VOTERS: House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have required undocumented voters seeking to register on Election Day to make an oath that they were qualified citizens in that precinct. The amendment also would have required an oath from the people "vouching" for these unregistered and undocumented voters. It would have also required election judges to make a record of these oaths so that liability would attach if the oaths were false. Finally, the amendment would have lowered the number of unregistered and undocumented voters for whom a single person could vouch from 15 to three people. [23]

NO TRAINING OR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR REGISTERING VOTERS: House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have required the Secretary of State to at least offer training to "non-profit" groups that planned to go into a neighborhood and register undocumented voters and turn in batches of registration cards without verification. The amendment would have also created accountability and verification requirements, because similar registration drives in other states had turned up masses of fake registration forms. [24]

05. WELFARE BENEFITS AND COSTS

BENEFITS WITHOUT DEMONSTRATION OF STATUS: House DFLers suppressed an amendment that would have required people to demonstrate their residency or immigration status before signing up for benefits. [25]

BENEFIT WITHOUT DEMONSTRATED NEED: Under the old law, a new health service would not be added until the Health Department had studied and affirmed the need for that new service. In reversing that law, House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have delayed a requirement that translator services be provided for all patients in all languages until the Health Department had studied the need for that service requirement. [26]

06. COLLEGE AND IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS

IVY-COVERED HAVENS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have required MnSCU colleges and schools (and encouraged the University of Minnesota) to deny admission and/or expel students who are illegal aliens. [27]

IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: House DFLers defeated an amendment that would have shifted $6 million they wanted to give to illegal aliens to provide them with in-state tuition at the University of Minnesota and at MnSCU campuses. [28]

The Governor later vetoed the Higher Education Finance Bill (Senate File 1989) that created in-state tuition for illegal aliens at six campuses by setting tuition at the same level tuition level for all students. House DFLers voted for that option three times, but those votes are not listed because the gigantic bill included many other provisions which DFLers could use to attempt to justify their votes.

07. DON'T ENCOURAGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO TEACH ENGLISH IN FIVE YEARS

WE WILL PAY YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME IN TEACHING ENGLISH: Until 2007, the state provided school districts extra money for the first five years a foreign student was trying to learn English. After that, school districts used to have to ask local taxpayers for extra money to keep failing to teach English to a foreign student. In 2007, House DFLers removed the five-year cap on state funding. They defeated an amendment that would have tried to restore the five-year limit on state funding. [29]

NO, REALLY! TAKE YOUR TIME IN TEACHING ENGLISH: House DFLers later rejected an amendment to impose a seven-year time limit to receive extra state funds for failing to teach English to foreign students. [30]

08. DON'T MAKE ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF MINNESOTA

DON'T EVEN HEAR A BILL TO MAKE ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: House DFLers suppressed a motion to move to the Floor a bill to make English the official language of Minnesota. [31]

MAKE ENGLISH AN "ASPIRATION," NOT A "FIRST PRIORITY": House DFLers gutted an amendment that would have required school districts to give "first priority to ensuring that all district students are able to communicate effectively in English and clearly understand that English is America's first language." Instead, House DFLers inserted language to urge schools to "strive to ensure English proficiency for all students." [32]
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END NOTES

Where an entry indicates that House DFLers "suppressed" an amendment, this indicates that they used a procedural maneuver to kill the amendment without taking a direct vote on the issue. However, because any majority of the House could vote to take direct action on an amendment, it is fair to say that they opposed the core of the amendment when they used procedures to avoid a direct vote.

[1] FOREIGN-BORN CRIMINALS IN MINNESOTA: The Minnesota Department of Corrections 2005 report to Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound), who was then Chairman of the House Committee on Public Safety, gave the names, crimes and status of over 500 foreign-born felons then incarcerated in state correctional facilities.

[2] HEALTH COSTS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: "Report to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: The Impact of Illegal Immigration on Minnesota - - Costs and Population Trends," issued by the Office of Strategic Planning and Results Management of the Minnesota Department of Administration, December, 2005 (cited hereinafter as "Report on Illegal Immigration"), at page 5.

[3] SCHOOL COSTS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: Although Minneapolis has 36,000 students taught in 90 languages, taxpayers fund versions of most official documents only in Somali, Hmong, Spanish and English. www.mpls.k12.mn.us/about.html The costs for educating illegal aliens and their children have almost certainly risen since the FY 2005 estimates reported on page 5 of the Report on Illegal Immigration.

[4] NO SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY TO TEACH ENGLISH WITHIN FIVE YEARS: The DFL efforts to kill state incentives for schools to teach English to foreign students within five years is discussed at Items 21 and 22 of this briefing.

[5] WELFARE BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: The DFL efforts to use more taxpayers to provide social services to non-English-speaking persons is discussed at items 17 and 18 of this briefing.

[6] NO DFL ACTION ON CRIMES INVOLVING ILLEGAL ALIENS: In the wake of the Cottonwood school bus tragedy, Rep. Smith offered House File 4001 which would have strengthened penalties on people who helped people to get false identification and drivers' licenses. The House DFLers refused to give the bill a hearing in even the smallest committee.

[7] ILLEGAL ALIENS AND DRIVING RIGHTS: See page two of this briefing.

[8] DON'T REQUIRE DRIVING TESTS TO BE IN ENGLISH: On February 21, 2008, House DFLers rejected a Seifert amendment to HF 2800 (Lieder) (Gas Tax Bill). The Seifert amendment would have required tests for a Minnesota driver's license to be administered in English. House DFLers defeated the Seifert amendment by a margin of 47-82. House Journal page 7878.

[9] GIVE TAX CREDIT TO ILLEGAL ALIENS: On February 21, 2008, House DFLers rejected a Seifert amendment to HF 2800 (Lieder) (Gas Tax Bill). The Seifert amendment would have stripped the bill's provision to extend a tax credit for low-income residents on the new gas tax to illegal aliens. House DFLers defeated the Seifert amendment by a margin of 47-82. House Journal page 7879.

[10] NO SPECIAL MARKS ON ALIENS' DRIVERS' LICENSES: On April 17, 2007, House DFLers suppressed a Brod amendment to HF 829 (Paymar) (Public Safety Finance Bill). The Brod amendment would have required drivers' licenses of immigrants to include the phrase "status check" so that police would know to inquire whether the immigrant had a visa and whether the visa had expired. This practice is being followed now by executive order, but that could be reversed by the next Governor if it is not enacted into law. House DFLers suppressed the Brod amendment by a margin of 77-54. House Journal page 3922.

[11] DON'T REPORT CRIMINAL ALIENS TO FEDERAL AGENCY: On April 24, 2008, House DFLers suppressed an Emmer amendment to HF 2996 (Paymar) (Public Safety Policy Bill). The Emmer amendment would have required the Minnesota Department of Corrections to report to the federal Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the identity of any Minnesota convicts whose immigration status could not be determined. House DFLers suppressed the Emmer amendment by a margin of 66-60. House Journal page 10691.

[12] IDENTIFYING ILLEGAL ALIENS IN STATE PRISONS: On April 16, 2008, House DFLers acted cynically on a Seifert amendment to SF 3235 (Simon) (Data Practices Act changes). They supported the Seifert amendment to identify illegal aliens in Minnesota prisons and jails, and then gutted that proposal by supporting a version of the bill which excluded the amendment. The Seifert amendment passed by a margin of 106-23. House Journal page 10328.

[13] "SANCTUARY CITY ORDINANCES" THAT PROTECT ILLEGAL ALIENS: By a one-vote margin on March 31, 2008, House DFLers suppressed a Kohls motion to bring a bill to the House Floor. HF 3010 by Rep. Paul Kohls (R-Victoria) would prohibit cities from maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." House DFLers suppressed the Kohls motion by a margin of 66-65. House Journal page 8751.

[14] DON'T CUT AID TO "SANCTUARY CITIES": By a one-vote margin on March 3, 2008, House DFLers defeated a Seifert amendment to HF 3201 (Tax Conformity Bill). The Seifert amendment would have cut off state payments to cities that insisted on maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." The amendment would have distributed those funds to cities that did not insist on such laws. House DFLers defeated the amendment by a margin of 66-67. House Journal page 8058.

[15] DON'T CUT IN HALF AID TO "SANCTUARY CITIES": By a two-vote margin on March 3, 2008, House DFLers defeated a second Seifert amendment to HF 3201 (Tax Conformity Bill). The Seifert amendment would have cut in half state payments to cities that insisted on maintaining "sanctuary city ordinances." The amendment would have distributed those funds to cities that did not insist on such laws. House DFLers defeated the amendment by a margin of 65-67. House Journal page 8095.

[16] DON'T CUT AID TO MINNEAPOLIS AS A "SANCTUARY CITY": On April 21, 2008, House DFLers defeated a Seifert amendment to SF 3303 (Loeffler) (Allow Minneapolis to create a non-profit group for the riverfront). The Seifert amendment would have barred Minneapolis from maintaining its full set of "sanctuary city ordinances" if it wanted to create its own non-profit organization to develop its riverfront. House DFLers suppressed the amendment by a margin of 74-56. House Journal page 10424.

[17] DON'T CUT AID TO MINNEAPOLIS AS A "SANCTUARY CITY": On April 21, 2008, House DFLers defeated a second Seifert amendment to SF 3303 (Loeffler) (Allow Minneapolis to create a non-profit group for the riverfront). The Seifert amendment would have barred Minneapolis from maintaining its policy of forbidding city employees from inquiring about the immigration status of any person if the city wanted to create its own non-profit organization to develop its riverfront. House DFLers suppressed the amendment by a margin of 72-59. House Journal page 10425.

[18] ALLOW ILLEGAL ALIENS TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS: The House did not act on House File 1899 by Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis). The bill proposed an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution which would have allowed any person to vote in local elections who had been present in the community for at least 30 days.

[19] DON'T REQUIRE PHOTO I.D. AT THE POLLS, 2007: On February 13, 2007, House DFLers suppressed a Hoppe amendment to HF 160 (Hilty) (Election Reform Bill). The Hoppe amendment would have required voters to show photographic identification at the polls. House DFLers suppressed the Hoppe amendment by a margin of 88-43. House Journal page 348.

[20] DON'T REQUIRE PHOTO I.D. AT THE POLLS, 2008: On arch 10, 2008, House DFLers suppressed an Emmer amendment to HF 1546 (Simon) (Changes in voter registration). The Emmer amendment would have required voters to show photographic identification at the polls. House DFLers suppressed the Emmer amendment by a margin of 83-49. House Journal page 8534.

[21] EVEN IF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT SAYS "OKAY": Even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that states could require voters to show photo identification at the polls, House DFLers suppressed a Brod amendment to HF 3699 (Hilty) (changes in rules on recount elections). The Brod amendment that would have required voters to show photo identification at the polls, even though the amendment would have provided free I.D. cards to those who could not have or afford drivers' licenses. On April 30, 2008, House DFLers suppressed the Brod amendment by a margin of 75-51.

[22] DON'T HOLD ASIDE BALLOTS OF UNDOCUMENTED VOTERS UNTIL IDENTITY IS VERIFIED: On April 7, 2008, House DFLers defeated an Emmer amendment to SF 1298 (Hilty) (changes in election rules). The Emmer amendment would have required unregistered voters to show photo I.D. when they showed up at the polls, and would have held back their ballots until their identities could be verified. House DFLers defeated the Emmer amendment by a margin of 59-70.

[23] NO OATHS OR RECORDS OF OATHS FOR UNDOCUMENTED VOTERS: On April 7, 2008, House DFLers defeated an amendment by Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) to SF 1298 (Hilty) (changes in election rules). The Anderson amendment would have required undocumented voters seeking to register on Election Day to make an oath that they were qualified citizens in that precinct. The amendment also would have required an oath from the people "vouching" for these unregistered and undocumented voters. It would have also required election judges to make a record of these oaths so that liability would attach if the oaths were false. Finally, the amendment would have lowered the number of unregistered and undocumented voters for whom a single person could vouch from 15 to three people. House DFLers defeated the Anderson amendment by a margin of 50-80.

[24] DON'T TRAIN VOTER REGISTRATION TEAMS OR SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY: On April 7, 2008, House DFLers defeated a Brod amendment to SF 1298 (Hilty) (changes in election rules). The Brod amendment would have required the Secretary of State to at least offer training to "non-profit" groups that planned to go into a neighborhood and register undocumented voters and turn in batches of registration cards without verification. The amendment would have also created accountability and verification requirements, because similar registration drives in other states had turned up masses of fake registration forms. House DFLers defeated the Brod amendment by a margin of 48-82.

[25] HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR UNDOCUMENTED VISITORS: On April 10, 2008, House DFLers suppressed a Dean amendment to HF 3391 (Huntley) (Changes in health care insurance and state health programs). The Dean amendment would have required people to demonstrate their residency or immigration status before signing up for health care benefits. House DFLers suppressed the Dean amendment by a margin of 82-51.

[26] CHANGE LAW TO GIVE NEW SERVICE TO FOREIGN-BORN: On April 20, 2007, House DFLers defeated a Peppin amendment to SF 2171 (Huntley) (HHS Finance Bill). The Peppin amendment would have delayed a requirement that translator services be provided for all patients in all languages until the Health Department had studied the need for that service requirement. House DFLers defeated the Peppin amendment by a margin of 38-90.

[27] COLLEGE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS: On April 19, 2007, House DFLers defeated an Emmer amendment to SF 1989 (Rukavina) (Higher Education Finance Bill). The Emmer amendment would have required MnSCU colleges and schools (and encouraged the University of Minnesota) to deny admission and/or expel students who are illegal aliens. House DFLers defeated the Emmer amendment by a margin of 37-94.

[28] IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS, NOT A TUITION FREEZE FOR MINNESOTA CITIZENS: On April 19, 2007, House DFLers defeated a Severson amendment to SF 1989 (Rukavina) (Higher Education Finance Bill). The Severson amendment would have shifted $6 million the House DFLers wanted to give to illegal aliens to provide them with in-state tuition at the University of Minnesota and at MnSCU campuses. Instead the Severson amendment would have used the funds to hold the line on tuition costs for legal Minnesotans. House DFLers defeated the Severson amendment by a margin of 61-71.

[29] DON'T ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO TEACH ENGLISH IN FIVE YEARS: On April 18, 2007, House DFLers defeated a Buesgens amendment to HF 6 (Greiling) (K-12 Finance Bill). The Buesgens amendment would have preserved the five-year limit on extra state funds to teach English-proficiency to foreign-born students. Under the old law, schools that failed to meet the five-year limit on students would have to seek extra dollars from local tax-payers. In 2007, House DFLers lifted the state time limit entirely. House DFLers defeated the Buesgens amendment by a margin of 42-91.

[30] DON'T ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO TEACH ENGLISH IN SEVEN YEARS: On April 18, 2007, House DFLers defeated a Holberg amendment to HF 6 (Greiling) (K-12 Finance Bill). The Holberg amendment would have set a seven-year limit on extra state funds to teach English-proficiency to foreign-born students. Under the old law, schools that failed to meet the five-year limit on students would lose the extra state funds and would have to seek extra dollars from local tax-payers. In 2007, House DFLers lifted the state time limit entirely. House DFLers defeated the Holberg amendment by a margin of 43-88.

[31] DON'T EVEN CONSIDER A BILL ON ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: On March 13, 2008, House DFLers suppressed a motion to move a bill to the House Floor for debate. The bill was HF 2652 by Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Winona). The bill would have designated English as the official language of Minnesota. House DFLers suppressed the motion by a margin of 74-58.

[32] MAKE ENGLISH EDUCATION AN ASPIRATION, NOT A FIRST PRIORITY: On April 18, 2007, House DFLers gutted a proposal to make English proficiency a first priority for school districts in educating foreign-born students. Rep. Mark Olson (R-Big Lake) offered an amendment to HF 6 (Greiling) (K-12 Finance Bill) that would have required school districts to give "first priority to ensuring that all district students are able to communicate effectively in English and clearly understand that English is America's first language." Instead, House DFLers inserted language to urge schools to "strive to ensure English proficiency for all students." House DFLers passed the weaker language by a margin of 88-43.

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