Vice President nominee and current Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to several thousand attendees at a Harris-Walz presidential campaign rally at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, MI on August 7, 2024. (Photo by Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Not for the first time, right-wingers are up in arms over bills signed into law by vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, branding them “too progressive”.
Following the news that the Minnesota governor was chosen to be Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic ticket in the US election, Republicans have repeatedly tried, and failed, to paint him as a radical and unhinged far-left liberal.
The conservatives have demonised laws that provide free menstrual products in schools and one that gave free meals to schoolchildren.
The latest legislation to face their wrath is the 2023 law passed which allows residents of Minnesota to obtain a driver’s licence, regardless of immigration status.
Passed in September, and taking effect the following month, the law was hailed as a progressive step towards getting 81,000 people on the road. Minnesota’s Driver and Vehicle Services director, Pong Xiong, said at the time: “We’re incredibly proud to be a part of a handful of states that offer [a] driver’s licence for all, and the first step to getting [yours] is to pass that written test.”
While it was heralded as progressive, Minnesota was actually the 19th state to implement such a law.
Despite this, right-wing pundits such as Fox News host Sean Hannity condemned Walz, claiming the governor “thinks unlimited illegal immigration is wonderful for our country”.
Fellow Fox News host Jesse Watters used the bill as an excuse to call Walz “Minnesota nuts,” and a “lunatic.”
Wading in on the conversation, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk wrote: “Walz is an open-borders zealot. Walz supports sanctuary cities, driver’s licences for illegals, free college for illegals, and free health care for illegals. He cares more about invaders than Americans.”
Responding to previous criticism, Walz sarcastically replied: “What a monster. Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own healthcare decisions.
“They’re gonna label whatever they’re gonna label. [Donald Trump] is gonna roll it out, mispronounce names, try [to] make the case. The fact of the matter is that if you look at the policies that vice-president Harris was involved in making … quality of life is higher, the economies are better.
“If that’s what they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label.”