(Headline USA) Minnesota Democrats admitted this week that their proposed “bias registry” might include the names of citizens who oppose transgenderism or argue that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese lab.
State lawmakers are considering revising a state law, House File 181, to log alleged bias incidents even if they are not considered hate crimes. The bill would allow people to report alleged bias-related incidents so that the state could keep track of them.
However, Democrats admitted that there is no limit to what might qualify as a “bias.”
Republican state Rep. Harry Niska pressed his colleagues on how the registry would define “bias,” and asked them whether the definition would include speech that is critical of gender ideology or COVID-19 restrictions.
“If a Minnesotan writes an article claiming or arguing that COVID-19 is a Chinese bio-weapon that leaked from a lab in Wuhan, and someone reports that article to the Department of Human Rights, is that something that the Department of Human Rights should put in their bias registry under your bill?” Niska asked during a legislative session.
Fellow state Rep. Samantha Vang, a Democrat, admitted that such rhetoric, since it is “bias motivated,” could be “considered a bias incident.”
Niska continued: “If a Minnesotan is wearing a t-shirt that says ‘I love J.K. Rowling’ 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?” he asked.
Vang suggested this question would be better answered by lawyers and added, “I’m not going to say yes or no to that question.”
Other state Republicans warned that Democrats would use the “bias registry” to crack down on free speech and religious liberty.
“It seems very clear, based upon their focus on motivation, that they’re more concerned about what’s going on in people’s heads, which is protected speech, and that’s thoughtcrime,” said Republican state Rep. Walter Hudson.
