Representative Chris Dinkins, Photo Courtesy of her Official State Representative Facebook Page
LESTERVILLE, Mo. (NewsFirst) – A southeast Missouri state representative is calling on Governor Parson to prevent the Federal Government from settling Palestinian refugees in Missouri. State Representative Chris Dinkins(R-Lesterville) has written a letter to Governor Mike Parson (R) expressing concern and calling on her fellow republican to take a stand against allowing the Federal Government to relocate the refugees to Missouri.
In the letter to the governor who is in the same political party as her, Dinkins says she is concerned about the plans by the Biden Administration to move the refugees into Missouri. She says in part, “I urge you to take executive action to proactively prohibit the resettlement of any Palestinian refugees from Gaza in Missouri.” Dinkins also stated in the letter about her “great concern about welcoming individuals from regions whose belief systems are rooted in anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments.”
In response to Dinkins’ letter, Governor Parson said “Well, you don’t have the authority to do that to start off with. I mean, anybody’s been around a little bit, the federal government can place refugees anywhere they want to without asking your permission. First of all, there’s this big difference between Palestinian people, and the people of Hamas,” Parson told reporters.
“Hamas are terrorist groups that attack our country and hate who we are. We don’t want them here. But I don’t think you want to take everybody that’s from Palestine to make them as bad people. I don’t know that,” Parson said.
Representative Dinkins serves as the Missouri State House of Representatives Republican Caucus Chairwoman. Her district Washington, Iron, Madison, Bollinger, Reynolds, Shannon, and Wayne counties. She was first elected in 2018. Now being term limited out of the House, she made an announcement earlier this year to run for the State Senate in next year’s elections.
