Friends and neighbors,

Across the state, and particularly in the Twin Cities, we are seeing an upsurge in violent crimes. Minnesota has one of the lowest incarceration rates per capita in the country, and we generally reserve prison for the worst of the worst offenders or those who repeatedly commit new crimes.

Although judges are most often in control of sentencing, prosecutors are also allowed to waive the mandatory minimum prison time. And when prosecutors are not prosecuting, criminals are let back out into our communities and pose a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, it is critical for weak prosecutors and judges to be held responsible for the roles they play in keeping our communities safe.

And this week in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, we heard two proposals relating to mandatory minimum sentences for violent crimes.

Despite having a mandatory minimum sentence available, the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission reported in 2020 that between 2013-2019, judges and prosecutors chose to not sentence the mandatory minimum in felony firearm cases 40% of the time.

To hold violent criminals accountable, we heard a bill, S.F. 2576, to enforce mandatory minimums for criminals who commit crimes with firearms or other dangerous weapons. Similarly, we also heard a bill, S.F. 2673, to require mandatory minimum sentences for certain designated violent crimes committed with a firearm. 

Sometimes criminals are put before the victims, but I strongly believe that the victim and the safety of the public should be prioritized. When criminals who have committed violent crimes are caught and then quickly released, this sends the message that there are no consequences for their crimes. The bills we heard this week will address this by communicating that there will be strong consequences for violent crimes. 

Additionally, in the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee, we heard a bill, S.F. 3617, this week to allocate $100 million for broadband from federal funds. This funding would be committed to the Office of Broadband Development, and this money would then be deployed to buildout broadband in our state’s underserved rural and metropolitan areas. 

In today’s digital age, providing broadband service to all Minnesotans is critical. From healthcare to education, families and businesses are becoming increasingly more dependent on devices that require access to a quality broadband connection. This new $100 million in funding will put our state even closer to providing reliable access to all.

Contact me

As always, if have questions or concerns on any legislative topic, feel free to contact me any time. You can call me at 651-296-5655 or send me an email at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator.

Sincerely,

Mary