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I have been watching the Real ID drivers license issue in the Legislature for some time now. Compliance to the federal government is deemed an overreach of its authority. That in itself is enough to make one try to understand the oppositions argument.

The opposition to passing the legislation by Dayton and the Democrats is nested in their desire to create a license class for people in the country illegally. I have heard: This will make the roads safer, and once they have an ID they will be required to have insurance.

People here illegally are already violating several federal and state laws by driving illegally. What makes the Democrats think that once these people have a form of ID to drive that they will buy insurance? Further, why are Dayton and the Democrats carrying the torch for a small minority of people here who do not vote for them or anyone? Seems to me Dayton and the Democrats have forgotten about who voted them into office and whom they represent. But then again maybe they do represent people in the country illegally.

Henry M. Votel, Forest Lake

The Minnesota End-of-Life Option Act was recently introduced by Sen. Chris Eaton and Rep. Mike Freiberg. It is modeled after Oregons well-proven 1997 Death with Dignity Act and authorizes terminally ill adults of sound mind to ask for (and receive) medication for a peaceful death should their suffering become unbearable.

Minnesotans overwhelmingly favor medical aid in dying. A survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research in September 2016 shows that a large majority (73 percent) support legislation to authorize medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults. The Minnesota Health Care Consumer Associations survey in October 2015 reported that 80 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: I would support Minnesota legislation granting terminally ill patients the right to end their lives painlessly in a medically managed setting.

If we make our wishes known to our legislators, and they honor our wishes, we can look forward to having the right to end life on our own terms. If we are ignored, we must hold them responsible for prolonging the unnecessary suffering and loss of choice most of us now face.

Gary M. Wederspahn, South St. Paul

Thanks for printing Evidence (March 7), responding to the Joe Soucheray column with his long-debunked old arguments denying climate change, deliberately confusing weather with climate. Most Americans now accept overwhelming evidence for global warming, as we eventually did for smoking-related cancer years ago, and they support cutting carbon emissions by developing green energy.

Unfortunately, some members of the Minnesota House, still waffling about climate change, have passed bills to bring our job-growing, renewable energy economy to a halt and increase carbon emissions (HF 234 and HF 235). They would stop progress incentivized by state goals and renewable energy policy that increased clean energy employment in Minnesota 78 percent between 2000 and 2014. The Minnesota Environmental Law and Policy Center reported that 131 Minnesota companies are now involved in the solar- and wind-power supply chain.

The good news is that renewable energy will surge if the Legislature passes a bipartisan bill to increase Minnesotas renewable energy standard to 50 percent by 2030. Thanks to the authors, Sens. Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato) and Karin Housley (R-South St. Paul) and Reps. Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley) and Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne), for vision and leadership.

Dana Jackson, Stillwater

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Letters: On Real ID, who are Democrats representing? - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press