By Bruce Karnick

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As of June 30, yard signs can be placed to show support for the political campaigns season. Candidates wasted no time getting signs out around Hastings. With a dozen candidates in Hastings between the State Senate, State House and City Council, there were many signs up.

Hastings has three candidates vying for the newly created MN Senate seat, R-Tony Jurgens, R-Tom Dipple and D-Judy Seeberger. There are two candidates vying for the House District 41B seat, R-Shane Hudella and D-Tina Folch. Then for city council, there are seven running for two seats. Ian Martin, Dave Pemble, Angie Haus, Tom Wright, Dennis Peine, Joe Balsanek and Dean Markuson.

Running for office in any way is not a cheap endeavor, the smaller yard signs can cost $10-15 and the large, 4×8 signs are easily around $100, so when multiple reports come in of signs being stolen affecting multiple candidates, that is troubling.

Under MN statute 609.52, it is against the law to take another person’s property in MN. The other concerning piece is that it is limiting a person’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Dozens of folks on social media were commenting how they had their signs stolen all over Hastings. Some candidates stated they had several of their signs stolen, and in doing the estimated math, it is over $2500 in theft.

Videos and images shared on social media showed 3-4 teens or young adults getting out of a vehicle, stealing the signs and taking off. The videos were not clear enough to show faces or license plates, but it was clear the acts were not against one specific candidate. Signs were reported to be taken from Dave Pemble, Ian Martin and Shane Hudella for certain.

In my neighborhood, there were also signs that supported the local library that were taken, there were a few houses as well that, if memory serves me correctly, had Angie Haus signs that were missing and are now replaced. It was strange driving around on main streets in town that a day prior had many signs on them to see them empty.

The thieves were bold. One camera showing the theft around 10:20 p.m. on Pine Street, a normally busy street well into the night.

If anyone has any information regarding the theft of the signs, especially the whereabouts of the stolen signs, the candidates would like to have them back. Contact Hastings Police Department nonemergency line 651-480-2300.

These are people who are working to help our city be better, and no matter who you support in the election, you know that each one is out campaigning hard to earn those votes. All of them put a lot of time, effort and funds into their campaigns and to have their property stolen is a slap in the face not only to the candidates, not only the homeowners, but to the City of Hastings and democracy as a whole.