Minnesota Republicans Roll Out Public Safety Plan

(KNSI) – House and Senate Republicans are rolling out their Safe and Sound Minnesota public safety plan.

They say the plan will confront the threat of violent and repeat criminals, strengthen police and improve training for law enforcement, and hold judges and prosecutors accountable with public data and information.

House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring said it’s time to get tough on crime and criminals. “We have a crime epidemic. Meanwhile, Democrats are going out of their way to avoid getting tough on criminals, and their priorities seem more focused on the rights of the offenders than the rights of victims. This is appalling. Minnesotans have a right to safe communities, and that starts with policies to confront the criminal threat, support our police, and hold our judges and prosecutors accountable.”

“Minnesotans are concerned about public safety and so are Senate Republicans. We are committed to helping police do their jobs, ensure our laws are enforced, and hold criminals accountable for crimes committed in our communities,” Republican Minority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks said.

The package includes 17 different bills from 15 different Republican authors across the state.

New laws will add a new crime of carjacking to state statute.
Increase penalties for fleeing police in a motor vehicle.
Align fentanyl to the same weight thresholds and penalties as heroin.
Increase sentences for those convicted with at least two prior crimes of violence.
Increases the penalty for transferring a firearm to an ineligible person
Courts would be required to ensure that someone ordered to give up their firearms has done so.
A new mandatory minimum sentence for dangerous criminals who commit crimes with a firearm.
Make who posts bail payments public data.

Making bail payers public data comes after recent scrutiny of non-profits bailing out violent criminals.

Two additional bills provide grants to Ramsey county for violent crime prevention and increase sworn officers on Metro Transit.

The plan provides $1 million for Pathway to Policing, the award-winning program that brings recruits into public safety from other careers. Waite Park has benefitted from it before and is hoping to again with the city council giving the green light to a Pathways to Policing application earlier this week.

They also include $5 million for college scholarships and technology to help law enforcement students and $15 million for bodycams for law enforcement departments. The plan also fulfills a request of $168 million for police and first responder pension funds.

The plan calls for new data reporting to help legislators and the public understand how many felony-level offenses go uncharged, as well as a database by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission for the public to research judges and their decisions to follow criminal sentences created by the legislature.

“Minnesotans are rightfully concerned about rising levels of crime that continue to impact their daily lives,” said House Republican Public Safety Lead Rep. Paul Novotny of Elk River. Novotny is a retired Sherburne County deputy sheriff. “These commonsense proposals will keep our communities and neighborhoods safe while making sure that law enforcement have the resources they need to protect Minnesotans and their families.”

The bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate on Friday.

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