Governor Mark Dayton may be taking fire from advocates for the legalization of medical marijuana and Republican gubernatorial candidates (none of whom support the Melin/Dibble bills), but he’s getting in a few shots of his own.
At the signing ceremony for the Safe and Supportive Schools Act on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol, Dayton called out Representative Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Jim Newberger (R-Becker) for calling the bill “fascism” and “Orwellian.” Dayton then cited the Declaration of Independence, noting that God gave all human beings rights.
This article is reposted from TCDP media partner Bluestem Prairie. Check out the links below for other recent Bluestem Prairie stories:
Mike McIntee at The Uptake writes:
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton comments about the House debate over the anti-bullying law he just signed. He called comments made by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) “slanderous”. Franson compared the Safe And Supportive Schools Act to “fascism” while Newberger compared it to the police state in George Orwell’s 1984 novel.
Dayton noted the constitution guarantees free speech “but it doesn’t distinguish between intelligent speech and unintelligent speech,” a line that drew laughs and applause from the hundreds gathered on the Minnesota Capitol steps to watch him sign the act into law.
Perhaps Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), author of the senate versions of the anti-bullying bill and the medical marijuana bill, can persuade Dayton to be as smart about the latter bill as he has been about the former legislation.
Here’s The Uptake’s video:
Bluestem has full clips of the Franson and Newberger floor statements in our posts Christian martyrs: Franson evokes fascism in anti-bullying bill debate; Benson likes The Matrix and In prolonged rant on anti-bullying bill, Jim Newberger plays Orwell & Hitler cards
Photo: Jim Newberger, who also says peculiar things about Will Steger and the state Environmental Quality Board.
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