Mark “The Shark” Ritchie, Minnesota’s secretary of state, was pinned in Minnesota’s wrestling pay-per-view event: 1, 2, 3, and the sound of the referee slapping the mat as Ritchie’s shoulders were down for the count. It must have been excruciating.
The Democrats took a serious beating August 27, when the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed mustard on Mark Ritchie’s attempt to rewrite the titles of both the voter ID and marriage amendment questions. This columnist, speaking at various conservative meetings, predicted the court would issue such a ruling.
I also provided the idea that the only reason for the challenges was an attempt to delay the matter on the ballot in November, because the expectation was that the matter would not be heard as quickly as it was, leading to motions to delay the matter until the court would decide. That tactic failed, and Mark Ritchie and friends took a beating.
Republican lawmakers are feeling really good about the court’s action in that both the voter ID and marriage constitutional amendments will appear as written by the GOP-majority legislators. Ritchie and friends used tax dollars in an attempt to force the court into changing the wording as written by Republican lawmakers.
Sen. Warren Limmer (a friend), who supported my efforts to get the African American slaves recognized who help build the nation’s capitol, was an outspoken opponent of Ritchie’s attempt to rewrite the constitutional amendments. I join my conservatives in the state of Minnesota in his fight, including entities such as Protectmyvote.com and others that took the fight face-to-face with Ritchie and his please-don’t-let-this-happen-as-written fan base.
The League of Women Voters, ACLU and others are not able to understand the court’s term of “unprecedented relief” and “palpable evasion.” Let me give it to you as simple as the Jackson’s song “ABC.” The court had one simple issue: whether the essential purpose of the proposed amendment at issue required that voters provide photo ID in order to vote.
Let me put this in Lucky’s understanding, because the League of Women Voters, ACLU and others need my assistance in reaching a cathartic moment of understanding. You people lost. You goofed. Let it go. The court wrote that the essential purpose is communicated in the ballot question. Accept the ruling and move on.
Mark Ritchie, stop using your office to influence voters, because this is an abuse of your office and position. We all know you are against the voter ID and marriage amendments being on the ballot as written by Republican lawmakers.
The court ruled that Mark “The Shark” Ritchie exceeded his authority: “We conclude that when the legislature has included a title for a ballot question in the bill proposing a constitutional amendment, the “appropriate title” the secretary of state must provide for that ballot question is the title designated by the legislature.”
Let me suggest this to my readers: Obtain the court’s ruling. The reading and findings towards Mark Ritchie are scathing and offer Ritchie and his followers a basic lesson in high school civics. The ruling goes on to say Ritchie “exceeded his authority” by submitting his own titles for the ones passed by legislature.
This being the findings of the court, Mark “The Shark” Ritchie abused his office, in my opinion, in an attempt to intentionally, willfully, wrongfully, and maybe unlawfully delay the legal process and work of elected lawmakers. If we did such an act on our jobs, would we not have a consequence?
This columnist is going to pursue the answer to that question. Stay up on my columns.
Lucky Rosenbloom welcomes reader responses to 612-661-0923, or email him at l.rosenbloom@yahoo.com.
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Excellent!