The Minnesota Senate this morning passed a comprehensive Judiciary and Public Safety budget providing the constitutionally required and critical funding to keep Minnesotans safe. This budget focuses on safety, providing justice to victims of crimes, and providing law enforcement, judiciary, and correctional officers the support they need to do their job. 

“One of the most common concerns I hear about these days is public safety,” said Senator Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont), who was recently named ‘Legislator of the Year’ by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. “People are worried about the constant undermining of police officers. This bill fulfills one of government’s core responsibilities — keeping Minnesotans safe — while taking steps to improve the justice system and making sure the courts and the judiciary can function smoothly.”

The bill includes a provision co-authored by Senator Rosen called ‘Matson Strong’, named in honor of Officer Arik Matson, the Waseca police officer who was nearly killed in the line of duty last January. The bill strengthens state criminal penalties for individuals who are convicted of assault that causes great bodily harm to a police officer, judge, prosecutor, or correctional officer. The legislation increases the maximum sentence from 20 to 25 years for great bodily harm, and if the assault causes great bodily harm and was committed with deadly force or using a dangerous weapon, from 20 to 30 years. In either case, a perpetrator would serve a longer mandatory minimum sentence in prison. 

“Those of us in southern Minnesota, and especially Waseca, know the name Arik Matson very well,” said Sen. Rosen. “He is a true hero. ‘Matson Strong’ is a great way to show Minnesota’s law enforcement officers that we appreciate everything they do to keep us safe. An attempt to kill an officer of the law is an attack on the safety and security of our communities, and must be met with a punishment that is severe as the crime.”

The Public Safety budget provides significant support for first responders through pay raises for law enforcement officers and investments in training programs to help Minnesotans in the field. To keep Minnesotans safe, there are expansions included for the Violent Crime Enforcement Teams, which investigate serious crimes such as gangs and drug trafficking. 

Notably, this budget prioritizes the needs of victims to get the justice they deserve by increasing penalties for heinous crimes, provides investigative resources for crimes in the National Guard, and amending statutes that prioritize the criminal over the victim. Crimes against children are particularly terrible, and this bill increases penalties for criminals who traffic children and those who create or distribute child pornography, and also creates a new crime with severe penalties for child torture. As seen in a Supreme Court case earlier this year, Minnesota statute is amended through this bill to close the “voluntary intoxication loophole,” giving sexual assault survivors the full support of the criminal justice system regardless of sobriety. 

Other Key Provisions Include:

• Matson Strong: Stiffens penalties for the attempted murder of a public safety official
• Travis’s Law: Requires 911 operators to include social service crisis teams for mental health calls
• Matthew’s Law: Increases safety protections for confidential informants
• Hometown Heroes: Financial support, training and resources for firefighters
• Ignition interlocks for repeat DUI offenders
• Tightening cases where no-knock warrants may be used 
• Provides increased support for body cameras for law enforcement agencies
• Database improvements to track officer conduct through the Police Officer Standards and Training Board. 
• Department of Corrections requirement to provide identification cards and information on how to access public services and prevent homelessness, when releasing convicts at the end of their prison sentence