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Lori Sturdevant’s Oct. 18 column “Divided government at the Minnesota Capitol may sound good, but …” rightfully sounds the alarm on how inaction and dysfunction would result from another divided Minnesota Legislature.

Perpetuating government gridlock will do the citizens of this state a great disservice.

We know that tune, having lived through over 30 years of split government in Minnesota which simply fomented ever-increasing partisanship, where one party took a my-way-or-the-highway approach: cleansing its ranks of pro-choice members and stifling bipartisan collaboration on much-needed state funding for education, health care, transportation, public safety, human rights and the environment — all under the guise of “no new taxes.”

Connect the dots: Those opposed to good governance drag the state backward. Let’s not do that again. Gridlock perpetuates the notion that government is the problem, solving nothing while lining the pockets of the rich and ignoring the plight of the poor.

Minnesotans need a fully functioning state government. We need strong government to provide public funding to protect the safety and security of all our citizens, the ability to get around on decent roads and bridges to carry out everyday duties and activities, and a safety net for our weakest and most vulnerable Minnesotans. We need strong government to provide schools that educate our young to help them reach their full potential and to ensure a fully functional health care system that is accessible to all, to tackle challenges many seniors face trying to make ends meet and to address the existential threat of climate change. And we need strong government to eradicate inequality and historic discrimination that continue to plague generations of marginalized and intentionally minoritized individuals.

Make no mistake: This election cycle is about freedom, fairness and equality. Equal rights are on the ballot Nov. 5, both statewide and nationally.