Wide-ranging faith group encourages legislators not to make voting harder
The Rev. Paul Erickson, assistant to the bishop for evangelical mission for the Saint Paul Area Synod, ELCA, explained that the proposed photo identification constitutional amendment is a solution in search of a problem, since there have been no prosecutions for voter impersonation in Minnesota. Metro Lutheran photo: Bob Hulteen
A proposal for a constitutional amendment requiring voters to have state-issued photo IDs in order to vote is being heard in the Minnesota legislature. More than three dozen clergy representing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations, delivered a letter signed by several hundred religious leaders to top legislators questioning the intention of the bill.
The Rev. Paul Erickson, a representative of the Saint Paul Area Synod, ELCA, explained that the impact of the amendment “would be an unfair burden” for some demographic groups. “And it is wrong for the majority to take away the rights of any minority.”
After a press conference, the group, led by the Rev. Laurie Eaton, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (ELCA), Minneapolis, delivered the letters to legislative leaders.
Tags: constitutional amendment, ELCA, Laurie Eaton, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Paul Erickson, photo ID, religious leaders, Rev. Laurie Eaton, Rev. Paul Erickson, Saint Paul Area Synod
