Minnesota State Representative Jeremy Kalin sends along this letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal:

Dear WSJ Editors,
I am a business-oriented Democratic lawmaker and a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal. I often look to the Journal for a straight-forward and honest business perspective. If only Tuesday’s editorial on the Franken-Coleman Minnesota Senate race, “The ‘Absentee’ Senator,” was as accurate as your stock reports.
Just about the only accurate point of the editorial was the central focus on absentee ballots during the administrative recount and subsequent election contest.
For decades, Minnesota law has unfortunately limited absentee voting to four explicit reasons. In my first session in the State House, I chief-authored two bills to reduce the red-tape and other hurdles to absentee voters. One bill, the Military and Overseas Voting Act, was signed into law and increased turnout among overseas absentee votes in 2008 by more than 400%. The other bill, addressing domestic absentee voting, was vetoed by Governor Tim Pawlenty.
During the trial, former Senator Norm Colema’’s lawyers argued the policy behind my (vetoed) “no-fault” absentee voting bill. Citizens’ fundamental right to vote, whether on Election Day or through an absentee ballot, should not be denied because of a technicality. While Coleman was right on the issue, he was wrong on the law. Because of the 2007 veto, Minnesota’s outdated and burdensome law is still in place.
Both former Senator Coleman and Senator-elect Franken’s lawyers were indeed aggressive advocates for their client. But while both sides wanted more and more votes counted, no fewer than 12 judges tempered the lawyers’ zealousness through sober and strict adherence to the letter of Minnesota’s election law. It’s been noted repeatedly that these judges were appointed by governors of 3 different parties, including several appointed by Republican Governor Pawlenty.
Rather than jumping to partisan hyperbole, the Journal’s editorial writers would have been wise to read the Minnesota Supreme Court’s easily understood and unanimous decision. Minnesota’s nearly 3 million ballots were counted and recounted in public, and every minute of the trial was open to the public.
Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial writers risk being lumped in with partisan zealots like Rush Limbaugh, who suggest Minnesota and Iran could be lumped in together. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Had Norm Coleman received more votes than Al Franken, Minnesota would have accepted that result as well, because Secretary of State Mark Ritchie ensured the process was fair, legal and transparent. The Journal must recognize this fact.
Absent a correction from the Wall Start Journal, it will be a long time before I can take the Journal’s editorial pages seriously again.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Kalin
Minnesota State Representative, district 17b
North Branch, MN