Midwest
RNC blasts Walz admin's nonanswer on how noncitizens made it onto Minnesota voter rolls: 'No hypothetical'
The administration of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has not explained how noncitizens made it onto the state’s voter rolls, according to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Minnesota GOP, which penned a letter to the state’s Department of Public Safety.
Kevin Cline, election integrity counsel for the Republican National Committee, and David Hann, chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, first wrote to the Walz administration last month flagging how a noncitizen, legally living in the state and fearful of jeopardizing his status, came forward to report receiving a primary ballot without having registered to vote.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson wrote back to Cline and Hann earlier this week.
His letter explained that the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division (DVS) “takes many steps to ensure that only U.S. citizens’ information is forwarded to the Office of the Secretary of State.” That includes reviewing only a list of certain documents that qualify as proof of citizenship to determine if an applicant is a U.S. citizen. Procedures include a second review upon issuance of the applicant’s documents to verify their classification in the system.
MINNESOTA GOP DEMANDS PROBE AFTER NONCITIZEN CLAIMS RECEIVING PRIMARY BALLOT WITHOUT REGISTERING TO VOTE
If DVS finds a document has been classified incorrectly as valid proof of citizenship, DVS fixes the classification and does not send the record to the Office of the Secretary of State for automatic voter registration, Jacobson wrote. He added that DVS is also conducting “a thorough, manual review” of all records that have been identified as eligible for AVR since the law went into effect in 2023 “to ensure a fair and secure election this fall.”
Kamala Harris listens to her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speak during a visit with members of the marching band at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Ga., Aug. 28, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
This response did not satisfy Cline nor Hann, who noted in a new letter sent Thursday how Walz in March 2023 signed a bill into law allowing illegal noncitizens to receive driver’s licenses, also known as “Driver License for All.” Less than two months after signing that bill into law, Walz signed the “Democracy for the People Act,” permitting automatic voter registration through DVS, Cline and Hann said.
“While we appreciate your explanation of how the Driver and Vehicle Services Division (“DVS”) is supposed to function to ensure each applicant is a U.S. citizen, your response failed to explain how noncitizens made it through that process and ultimately made it onto Minnesota’s voter rolls,” Cline and Hann wrote Thursday, according to the letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
“This is no hypothetical; lawfully present noncitizens were registered to vote through your department, and Minnesota voters deserve transparency from your department to understand how this failure occurred and how it is being addressed.
“This issue is especially concerning since the chain of events leading to implementation of Minnesota’s AVR system, put in place by Governor and Vice-Presidential Candidate Tim Walz, gives the impression it was put in place to facilitate registration of noncitizens,” the letter says. “Minnesota’s voter registration system is clearly vulnerable to illegal voter registrations in its current form.”
Cline and Hann said it is “worrisome that your department is only now conducting a review of voter records identified as eligible for automatic voter registration (‘AVR’).
Gov. Tim Walz poses with his wife Gwen and daughter Hope after voting at Linwood Community Recreation Center Nov. 8, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
HARRIS VP PICK MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ LAVISHED ILLEGAL MIGRANTS WITH TAXPAYER-FUNDED ‘BLANKET OF BENEVOLENCE’
“This type of review should have been completed multiple times on a consistent schedule since AVR’s implementation,” they told Jacobson. “That your department is only now beginning the review process suggests it is being done because our previous letter exposed the flaws in the AVR system and highlighted noncitizens on the rolls.”
“Walz is completely aligned with Kamala’s radical agenda, opening the invasion at the border and giving illegal aliens free health care, free tuition and drivers licenses,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is a clear plan by the Democrats, as they continually put non-citizens first and Americans last. We are holding Walz and his administration accountable and demand a full review and removal of the non-citizens they have allowed on the voter rolls. Minnesotans, and Americans, deserve much better than the cancelation of their votes by Kamala and Walz.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for comment, but it did not immediately respond.
Cline and Hann demanded Jacobson provide “full and in-depth answers” as to “when were the citizenship checks outlined in your September 3, 2024, letter put into place,” “when will your ‘thorough, manual review’ begin, what will that review consist of, and when will it be completed,” and “will you share the results of this manual review with the public?”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center at Temple University Aug. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The letter also seeks details on how Jacobson has been reporting to the OSS under 201.145, including how often a report is sent to the secretary of state, how many reports have been sent since the implementation of AVR and whether those reports include noncitizens who are not lawfully present in Minnesota. Jacobson was asked if he ever compared the reported individuals under 201.145 against his own AVR records, how many noncitizens have been issued a driver’s license and were also sent to OSS since the implementation of AVR and how many individuals have been sent to the secretary of state since the implementation of AVR.
“Has there been any pressure from the Governor’s Office or elsewhere to fast-track the registration process?” Cline and Hann asked.
“Minnesota voters should not have their votes diluted because your department failed to filter out noncitizens from the automatic voter registration system,” they concluded. “Mistakes have clearly been made in the design and/or implementation of the AVR system, but it is not too late to provide transparency and to address the issues before the election this November.”
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Illinois
Delavan police officer resigns after arrest on stalking charges in Illinois
DELAVAN, Wis. — A Delavan police officer has resigned immediately following his arrest on stalking charges in Illinois.
Joshua Bittner faces charges stemming from contacting a woman against the orders of the Winnebago County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. The woman detailed a long pattern of harassment in court documents obtained by TMJ4.
Before being hired by the Delavan Police Department in 2023, Bittner was an officer in Beloit. He resigned from that position while the police department investigated his behavior.
Bittner’s resignation takes effect immediately.
Watch: Delavan police officer resigns after arrest on stalking charges in Illinois
Delavan police officer resigns following arrest
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Indiana
Central Indiana Top Workplaces: Here’s the list of 2026 honorees
These employers were recognized by the annual Top Workplaces employee survey conducted by Energage, working in partnership with IndyStar.
Top large companies
- Progressive Insurance
- Eight Eleven Family of Companies
- Shepherd Insurance
- LEL Home Services
- Merchants Bank / Merchants Capital
- Tendercare Home Health Services
- Rohrman Automotive Group
- Team Rehabilitation
- Wabash Center, Inc.
- Brighton Hospice
- Mainscape
- The Indianapolis Public Library
- Greenix
- Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
- Indiana Members Credit Union
- Celigo
- Round Room LLC
- Freedom Mortgage
- Thompson Thrift
- Kirby Risk
- Ren
- Morgan Properties
- American Specialty Health, Incorporated
- Towne Properties
- New Palestine Community Schools
- Planes Companies
- Panda Restaurant Group
- Fifth Third Bank
- Flaherty & Collins Properties
- Indiana Department of Revenue
- Republic Airways
- RCI
- Cox Enterprises
- PERFICIENT
- Grand Appliance
- PT Solutions
- Centerstone
- Peterman Brothers
- Groundworks
- Damar Services
- Kloeckner Metals
- CBIZ
- Graybar
- Resultant
Top midsize companies
- Paradigm Health
- SEP
- New Hope of Indiana
- Scopelitis Law Firm (Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary)
- Bath Experts, LLC
- Opportunities for Positive Growth
- Hensley Legal Group, PC
- TBC Hotels
- The BAM Companies
- BSA
- Northview Church
- Northwestern Mutual
- Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine
- Dauby O’Connor & Zaleski, LLC
- Quality Plumbing & Heating
- Meyer Najem
- The Garrett Companies
- Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.
- Family Express
- GVC Mortgage
- Hays + Sons
- InPwr Inc.
- Kinetic Advantage
- Schahet Hotels, Inc.
- LER TechForce
- Envelop Group
- Unified Group Services, Inc.
- Knowledge Services
- Key Benefit Administrators
- Reynolds Farm Equipment, LLC
- ARBOR HOMES
- Total Quality Logistics – TQL
- North Mechanical Contracting & Service
- Indiana Donor Network
- Royal United Mortgage
- Perfection Group
- Eye Surgeons of Indiana
- ALOM
Top small companies
- Bailey & Wood Financial Group
- Indesign, LLC
- Children’s Therapy Connection
- Vaco Indianapolis
- The Peterson Company
- Express Employment Professionals
- ProKids
- Pension Fund of the Christian Church
- Mission Mechanical
- Robert Dietrick Co., Inc.
- Loren Wood Builders
- PulteGroup-IN
- BGBC, a Springline company
- NCW
- Visit Indy
- WorldTrips
- Aerocore Technologies LLC
- Vikan North America
- ready-2-xecute
- DirectEmployers
- USI Consultants
- SJCA, Inc.
- Indy Auto Man
- Kirkpatrick Management Company
- Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
- Engaging Solutions, LLC
- Exos
- Indiana Health Information Exchange
- Patterson-Horth
- Office360
- Netfor
- Haggard & Stocking Assoicates
- National Trade Supply
- Fairchild Communication Systems
- Adelta Logis, Inc.
- EMC Precision
Special Awards
APPRECIATION
Criteria: I feel genuinely appreciated at this company.
Winner: Scopelitis Law Firm (Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary)
BENEFITS PACKAGE
Criteria: I am very satisfied with my benefits package.
Winner: PulteGroup-IN
CLUED IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Criteria: Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company.
Winner: Indesign, LLC
COMMUNICATION
Criteria: I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.
Winner: New Hope of Indiana
DIRECTION
Criteria: I believe this company is going in the right direction.
Winner: Paradigm Health
DOERS
Criteria: At this company, we do things efficiently and well.
Winner: Children’s Therapy Connection
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Quinn Shepherd, Shepherd Insurance
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Mike Wood, Bailey & Wood Financial Group
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Andrea Schwartz, Opportunities for Positive Growth
MANAGERS
Criteria: My manager helps me learn and grow. My manager cares about my concerns.
Winner: REN
MEANINGFULNESS
Criteria: My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.
Winner: LEL Home Services
NEW IDEAS
Criteria: New ideas are encouraged at this company.
Winner: Progressive Insurance
VALUES
Criteria: This company operates by strong values.
Winner: BSA
WELL-BEING
Criteria: This company does a great job of prioritizing employee well-being.
Winner: The Peterson Company
WORK/LIFE FLEXIBILITY
Criteria: I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.
Winner: Merchants Bank / Merchants Capital
Iowa
Bennett Stirtz named University of Iowa Men’s Athlete of the Year
After a spectacular senior year with Iowa basketball, point guard Bennett Stirtz won Iowa Athletics’ men’s Athlete of the Year and men’s Hawkeye of the Year awards at the athletic department’s 10th annual Golden Herky awards ceremony.
Stirtz, who made stops at Northwest Missouri State and Drake before his lone season at Iowa, finished with a career Division I average of 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game on 48.7% field goal shooting, 37.2% 3-point shooting, and 82% from the free-throw line.
This past season, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Liberty, Missouri, averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on 47.7% field goal shooting and 35.8% 3-point shooting, to accompany 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals through approximately 37:44 of action in his 37 games played.
At the end of the season, Stirtz’s play earned him AP and USBWA honorable-mention All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten recognition, and the winner of the prestigious Chris Street Award.
In addition to Stirtz’s men’s Athlete of the Year award, Iowa’s men’s basketball team took home four additional Golden Herkys.
Redshirt freshman Cooper Koch was named men’s Breakthrough Athlete, freshman Tate Sage was named men’s Freshman of the Year, and the team earned the awards for men’s Outstanding Team and Best Moment for defeating No. 1 seed Florida to advance to the Sweet 16 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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