On Tuesday, the Minnesota Senate passed the 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.
“This legislation represents a commitment to funding our police and public safety institutions in order to protect Minnesotans,” Senator Mark Koran (R-North Branch) said. “Legislators in the House have been demonizing our police and advocating that we govern strictly by emotion. As crime booms, we cannot afford this approach that would tie the hands of law enforcement and limit their ability to keep themselves and our communities safe. Rather than give in, we are happy to have reached a compromise that prioritizes grounded and logical reforms that focus on preserving liberty and the value of life.”
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, 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