Minnesota to vote on rescinding immunity for lawmakers facing drunken driving arrest

Minnesota to vote on rescinding immunity for lawmakers facing drunken driving arrest

It's about time !!

And it looks like a few have been "guilty" in the past

Apparently there is a State Constitution issue however.


Published March 18, 2012
FoxNews.com

The Minnesota Legislature is expected to vote this week to rescind a get-out-of-jail-free card for state lawmakers who are arrested for drunken driving.

The provision, found in the state constitution, allows lawmakers "privilege from arrest" when they are pulled over by police. According to Article IV, Section 10, of the Minnesota Constitution, "the members of each house in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during the session of their respective houses and in going to or returning from the same."

The legislation, being sponsored in the Minnesota Legislature by Republican Rep. John Kriesel in the House and Republican Sen. Mike Parry in the Senate, is expected to be voted on this week since the respective public safety committees reportedly pushed it through with a deadline for action of Friday.

[color=cyan]The bill would add DWI to the list of violations that qualify as breaching the peace, thereby not changing the constitution itself.

Story

WHAT!!?!??!

What state would actually ALLOW its lawmakers to drive drunk with immunity? That is ridiculous. I don't even think New Mexico - the most corrupt, drunkest state in the US - has a law like that. I'm sure our lawmakers get away with it, though. Unless they kill someone in the process, then they get a ticket.

reply to post by xuenchen


I read about this earlier on the msm news.
I don't understand though.
There are laws on the books that put certain people above the law?
In any other correct thinking society, this is called tyranny.

This is pretty much copied from the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. Constitution - Article 1 Section 6

They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

The intention of this article is to prevent the President, Governor or some other authority from using the police to arrest people in congress to prevent them from passing a law they don't like.

I do, however, believe there are extenuating circumstances and being drunk is one. IMO, being drunk while on the way to a session of congress should be a felony.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, S+F!

For anyone else in MN use this link to contact your reps to get this passed!
Who Represents Me? MN State Legislature