Buried within an omnibus package set to be voted upon soon, the state of Minnesota is considering creating a database designed to track and mitigate resident’s speech that is considered a hate crime, and “biased” to certain individuals.
“SF 2909”, also called “HF 2890,” has passed in the state Senate last week and has now reached the House floor for hearings. One of the things in the package is an update to the judiciary and public safety bill, which would broadly expand what is considered a hate crime with “bias.”
According to the bill, some of these amendments define how a “peace officer” will enforce and record some of these would-be offences:
A peace officer must report to the head of the officer’s department every violation of chapter 609 or a local criminal ordinance if the officer has reason to believe, or if the victim alleges, that the
offender was motivated to commit theactbywas committed in whole or in substantial part because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion,national origin,sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, orcharacteristics identified as sexual orientationbecause of the victim’s actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03. The superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shall adopt a reporting form to be used by law enforcement agencies in making the reports required under this section. The reports must include for each incident all of the following:(1) the date of the offense;
(2) the location of the offense;
(3) whether the target of the incident is a person, private property, or public property;
(4) the crime committed;
(5) the type of bias and information about the offender and the victim that is relevant to
that bias;(6) any organized group involved in the incident;
(7) the disposition of the case;
(8) whether the determination that the offense was motivated by bias was based on the
officer’s reasonable belief or on the victim’s allegation; and(9) any additional information the superintendent deems necessary for the acquisition
of accurate and relevant data.strikethroughsrepresent deletions, whereas underlined portions represent editions
In February when this bill was being discussed, the Minn Post explained that, ‘Separate from the reporting of hate crimes to the police — reports that are collected and reported annually by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension — the bill sets up a system to report incidents that fall short of criminal acts or are not reported because the victim chooses not to. People could report events to community groups that might be more trusted. And those reports could be gathered to provide a fuller idea of what is happening on the ground,’ the outlet said.
During House deliberations, state Rep. Harry Niska (R) wanted some clarification on how this bill would be enforced, directing his line of questioning to the women who is namely responsible for these amendments, Rep. Samantha Vang (Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party DFL)).
Niska called these new proposed changes “troubling” and nothing more than “government surveillance of our speech.” Niska asked Vang what exactly classifies as “non-criminal incidents” for this registry. Vang responded by referencing how ever since 2020 there has been a serious increase in Asian hate and bigotry, and this bill would help keep better tabs on this sort of abuse in local communities.
Niska, while recognizing that sometimes harassment can go too far, still expressed his worry that these amendments would be far too overreaching and could encompass a slew of things that could be labeled as harmful. For further clarification, Niska provided some hypotheticals and if they would be viewed as hateful and asked for Vang’s opinion if these potential scenarios qualified or not.
Here is what the two said:
Niska: If a Minnesotan writes an article claiming or arguing that Covid-19 is a Chinese bioweapon that was leaked from a lab in Wuhan, and some reports that article to the Department of Human Rights, is that something the Department of Human Rights should be put in their bias registry under your belt?
Vang: You know, not all incidents are considered, I guess, violent or crime, as I said before. And so this clearly, if with the rhetoric that we have seen since the pandemic in regarding accusing Asians of bringing in the Coronavirus – that is biased motivated, and so that can be considered a bias incident.
Niska: I think I heard a yes to that? -Which is very troubling to me, that someone making a factual argument along those lines. I think this is something that is within political discourse would be included in the Department of Human Rights database.
Let me ask you another question. If a Minnesotan is wearing a t-shirt that said, ‘I love J.K. Rowling’ – (the author of the Harry Potter series) – and someone sees that and reports them to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, as an example of gender identity or gender expression bias, is that something that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights should put in this bias database.
Vang: I think this question will be best answered by the lawyers, I’m not a lawyer myself. I think in the language of the provision we have looked at the language to make sure that’s a substantial part of any incident has to be relating bias and hate, and is motivated.
And so, I’m not going to say a yes or no to that question. It is really up to those investigating to decide whether or not there is a stance on bias and hate incidents.
Niska: […] If a Minnesotan argues that there are 2 specific Christian colleges that should be excluded from the PSEO program, and someone hears that and reports that argument to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is a bias incident motivated by religion, is that something that the Minnesota of Department of Human Rights should include or exclude from there biased registry?
Vang: I think faith and religion is part of a protected class and that is something that the Department Rights can look at.
The line of questioning continued from Mr. Niska, concerning questions related to race, and Vang once again agreed that that should belong in the registry. Niska simply concluded his line of questioning to Rep. Vang by saying what she proposes is George Orwell’s “1984.”
Niska had offered his own amendment to this to prevent such overreach from happening, but in the end his amendment failed, with 61 yeas and 70 nays, leaving his amendment unadopted.
These debates for this particular statute buried in the omnibus were being debated back in January of this year, with Vang and others like the Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, were condemned for being vague in their definitions and defending such a bill.
Representative Walter Hudson (R), who also once challenged the bill yesterday, shared a string of posts on Twitter warning of this proposed legislation in January. At the time, Hudson had asked, “What is hate?” To which Vang said, ‘in essence, whatever a member of any protected class says it is.’
Minnesota has also been moving to provide more protections for LGTBQIA+ groups, with Vice reporting on the 3rd that “Minnesota Could Become a Trans Sanctuary State,” which Komo News explained would ‘shield transgender people, their families and their medical providers from legal repercussions for traveling to Minnesota for gender change services.’
Specifically, the bill would prohibit the enforcement of a court order for removal of a child or enforcement of another state’s law being applied in a pending child protection action in Minnesota, when the law of another state allows the child to be removed from the parent or guardian for receiving medically necessary health care or mental health care that respects the gender-identity of the patient.
Reads the explainer hosted by Minnesota’s House of Representatives.
And just last week the state House passed a ‘green shaming’ bill, according to Alpha News, that allows for “social pressure” of businesses with a low “energy performance score.”
‘[House Republicans] were also highly critical of a provision in the bill that would establish a new “energy benchmarking” program, which Swedzinski described as “green shaming.” In essence, it would require owners of buildings that are 50,000 square feet or more to report their energy use to the Department of Commerce. The department would then be required to publish this data on its website along with each building’s address and its “energy performance score,'” Alpha News wrote.
The bill also dumps hundreds of millions of dollars into renewable energy investments, and things like replanting trees.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
If you plan on moving any time soon, I think it’s safe to say that Minnesota is a state to clear avoid.
And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
Isaiah 3:5
This is about Orwellian as it gets. Basically anything and everything has potential to be databased. Of course, the police won’t go after the “transgressors,” YET, but we all know where this is leading…
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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i suppose the dicctionary companies will now go out of business. lol
this document was sent to parents from a school in manitoba, canada.
from that other twitter thread :
https://twitter.com/KBsBB76/status/1648144799965274112
just watched jennifer bilek new documentary ” who is behind the TRANS agenda” wow!
click on my name for link
These are “baby-steps” towards SOCIAL CREDIT SCORES and peoples ability to access (their)
CBDC money. In my humble opinion. It has LESS to do with “hate speech” than it does dystopian
control measures. They aren’t interested in what you say, they are interested in retaining (your)
“money.” That’s what it always boils down to. M-O-N-E-Y
1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”