Bill also releases more convicted felons from prison early

Minnesota Senate Republicans today successfully added three amendments to a judiciary and public safety proposal (HF2432) that secured additional funding for law enforcement officers and strengthened accountability for nonprofits receiving tax dollars.

“This bill originally continued the trend to defund the police, but common sense prevailed,” Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), lead Republican on the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, said. 

The first Republican amendment would fully restore police training funds that are set to expire, giving officers critical skills in de-escalation and autism response. The second amendment would crack down on violent crime by providing additional funding for violent crime enforcement teams (VCETs) to fight drugs, guns, and trafficking from cartel and gang activity. The amendments were added during a floor debate on the bill before it was passed and transmitted to the House of Representatives.

The third amendment would hold nonprofit organizations accountable by requiring public reporting on how $42 million in “violence prevention” grants are spent. The reporting guarantees these groups are spending tax dollars the way they promised and are meeting their legislative goals.

“Public safety is one of the most basic responsibilities of government, and we should be working to rebuild the trust that’s been lost in recent years,” Sen. Limmer added. “I am glad we successfully added funding for Minnesota’s incredible law enforcement officers and held nonprofit organizations accountable.

“Unfortunately, this bill continues a troubling pattern from Democrats of letting more violent criminals out of prison early. That policy is going to make our communities much less safe and put innocent families at risk,” Sen. Limmer concluded.

Two years ago, Democrats gave 92% of inmates a “Get Out of Jail Free” card through the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act. Victims are currently being notified their offender may be released early. The Senate Democrat public safety proposal grants early releases for additional violent offenders, reducing sentences for those involved in felonies that resulted in murder, including drive-by shootings. One hundred inmates convicted of felony murder would be released earlier over the next ten years, and over 170 prisoners could be released early over the next twenty.

The $3.84 billion judiciary and public safety package increases state spending by over $106 million.

Other notable provisions in the bill:

• Removes protections for babies harmed by prenatal drug use: Exempts pregnant women who use illegal drugs from being charged with child neglect or endangerment.
• Protects noncitizens charged with crimes: Grants noncitizens post-conviction relief for stays of adjudication — even for violent crimes – allowing them to avoid deportation or visa revocations.
• Fee increases for Minnesotans: Civil court filing fees will increase by $35 per case, making it more expensive for Minnesotans to seek justice, especially in cases like child support or small business collections.

Other Republican amendments to improve the bill:

• Preventing early release of criminals: An amendment sought to remove changes that reduce prison time for people involved in committing violent felonies, especially in cases involving assault and drive-by shootings where someone ends up murdered.
• Funding corrections officers, not bureaucracy: A Republican proposal would have shifted money away from bloated administrative budgets and into pay raises for corrections officers and probation staff.

These amendments were rejected by the Senate Democrat majority. The bill will now go to conference committee with the Minnesota House to resolve differences.