Student-Sponsored Bill Passes Senate Committee

Concordia students in political science adjunct professor Jayne Jones' The Minnesota Legislature class received word that their work on a bill to amend legislator immunity for drunk-driving offenses has been approved by the Minnesota Senate Judiciary & Public Safety Committee March 22.. The “No Boozin’ and Cruzin’ in Minnesota Bill”, sponsored by Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove and Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, was approved by the House Public Safety Committee March 15 and will now move to the floor of both the House and Senate.

The students are seeking to change current legislation that gives Minnesota legislators immunity from drunk-driving prosecution during legislative sessions. The bill has generated attention from both local and national media outlets, including a spot broadcast nationwide this past Sunday morning  on the Fox News Channel.

The six students working on the bill are Ariel Buczak, Taylor Gittens, Coy Smith, Nate Thiened, Rachel Wolbrink and Gabriel Sims.

View recent media coverage:

MN Senate Committee Votes To Change Legislative Immunity—WCCO-TV, March 22
Lawmakers May Lose Drunk Driving Immunity—KSTP-TV, March 22
Senate committee approves removal of legislator DWI immunity—Pioneer Press, March 22
Is it last call for Minn. legislators' free ride on DWIs?—Star-Tribune, March 22
Legislators' DWI immunity during session target of House bill—Pioneer Press, March 20
Legislators' privilege should not include impaired driving—Pioneer Press, March 20
Minnesota to vote on rescinding immunity for law makers facing drunken driving arrest—Fox News Channel (Fox & Friends), March 18
Students don’t want Minnesota lawmakers to ‘get out of jail free’—Grand Forks Herald, March 15
Students try to strip DWI immunity from Minn. lawmakers—KARE 11, March 13
Concordia Students Seek To Change ‘Legislator Immunity’—WCCO-TV, March 13