Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the DFL nominee for governor of Minnesota, did not provide answers when asked about two state laws that much of her party wants repealed.
In 2017, Minnesota state lawmakers passed two laws that prohibit the Minnesota Legislature and state government agencies from contracting with vendors that discriminate against Israel or entities doing business in Israel.
Those prohibitions, which were passed under a Republican legislature and a DFL governor, do not apply to contracts valued at less than $50,000. Further, those two laws do have a way to waive the prohibition if “compliance is not practicable or in the best interests of the state.”
Under the two laws, discrimination is defined as “refusals to deal” or “other actions that are intended to limit commercial relations with Israel” when such actions discriminate “on the basis of nationality or national origin and is not based on a valid business reason.”
In the years since that law was passed, criticism of Israel has increased dramatically in both the Democratic Party and Republican Party. However, such criticism is far more prevalent amongst Democrats who accuse Israel of committing a genocide against Palestinians.
According to a March 2026 survey from the Pew Research Center, 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have a negative view of Israel.
Additionally, criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have become focal points in Democratic primaries across the country, including the recent DFL primary for U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
In 2025, a group of Minnesota state lawmakers introduced legislation which would repeal the state laws banning contracts with vendors that discriminate against Israel.
That bill, HF 3258, gained additional co-authors in 2026. In total, 20 DFLers in the Minnesota House of Representatives, nearly one-third of the House DFL Caucus, have signed on to the bill. The Minnesota Senate version of the bill has three DFL authors.
With significant support from the House DFL Caucus, the bill is likely to return in next year’s legislative session. As such, Alpha News contacted Klobuchar, the DFL nominee for governor, to ask if she supports those state laws or would advocate for repealing them as governor.
She did not respond to questions prior to a publication deadline.
Klobuchar herself has been a staunch supporter of Israel during her nearly two-decade tenure in the U.S. Senate. Klobuchar has addressed AIPAC conferences in the past, described Israel as a “beacon of democracy,” and voted to send billions to the Mideast country.
However, Klobuchar has recently changed her tune on Israel as Democrats have increasingly criticized the nation.
Last year, Klobuchar voted for resolutions to block arms sales to Israel, which was reportedly the first time she had ever voted against arms for Israel. She also voted against sending $3.3 billion to Israel earlier this year and has criticized the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
