Some people have asked — or even demanded — why I voted NO on Senate Resolution 13 (S.R.13). My reason is simple: the resolution did not go through proper Due Process. It came out of the Judiciary Committee without any fact-finding or public testimony. As Senators, it is our duty to consider all sides of an issue. In this case, that did not happen.

What troubles me most is when politics interfere with the process. That’s what I believe happened here — both at the federal level and now in our own state.

I have answered the question “Why did you vote NO?” in emails, in conversations, and even directly with the editor of this paper. What I’ve noticed is that if my answer doesn’t fit a particular narrative, it’s often ignored. That is disappointing.

So, I ask you: Do you want your Senators to follow the constitutional process our country and state were founded on? Or should we bypass that process in order to make political statements?

In my short time in the Senate, I’ve seen this happen more than once. I will continue to do my best to follow the system the way our Founding Fathers intended — not to use my position to score political points.

Steven Hefferan

State Senator, Addison

Editor’s note: Here is the wording of S.R. 13, which was adopted on April 30:

Senate resolution strongly objecting to the manner and circumstances under which U.S. immigration authorities arrested and detained Mohsen Mahdawi and strongly advocating that he be afforded due process under the law and released immediately from detention.