Wide-ranging crime bill would boost penalties, establish new crimes

A plethora of changes could be coming to public safety laws, including identifying new crimes and increasing penalties for existing crimes.

HF7 would boost penalties on sex trafficking and assaulting peace officers and create new crimes or expand existing crimes.

“The themes of this bill are helping law enforcement make our communities safer from criminals, keeping violent and dangerous offenders off the street, and holding the criminal justice system accountable,” said Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River), the bill sponsor.

Novotny, who chairs the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, said many provisions were requested by law enforcement agencies and/or came from unsuccessful Republican-sponsored bills from previous sessions.

Approved via split-voice vote by the committee on Tuesday, the amended bill was sent to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee.

Potential changes

The bill would establish a gross misdemeanor offense for obstructing traffic on a freeway or within the boundaries of airport property with the intent to disrupt that traffic.

Such disruptions can delay emergency responders, which puts the public and peace officers at risk, Novotny said.

The bill would establish a 120-month mandatory minimum sentence for first-degree sex trafficking and 144 months if there are aggravating factors.

Other changes would increase penalties for individuals fleeing peace officers in a motor vehicle and violating certain traffic laws, such as ignoring a stop sign or traffic light, one-way sign, or driving on the wrong side of the road.

“Fleeing suspects have created a public safety crisis on our roadways; they create dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences for the drivers, innocent victims and law enforcement,” said Shane Myre, president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

Cass County Sherrif Bryan Welk welcomes increased penalties for fleeing offenders.

“Current penalties are insufficient to curb this dangerous behavior,” he said.

He said that together with a provision to expand situations under which peace officers can place a tracking device on a reported stolen vehicle it will also help reduce the danger to the public.

With a tracking device in place, he said, officers can call off a dangerous pursuit and make an arrest later when the car is stopped.

DFLers on the committee raised several objections.

Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview) called the bill “fiscally irresponsible” because its many increased penalties would burden the judicial and corrections system with “massive” costs.

Those exact costs are unknown, she said, because a fiscal note has not been provided.

She also rejects what she said was the underlying philosophy of the bill, which is that increased penalties will deter criminals. “We have been increasing penalties for years, and for decades, and the increase in penalties isn’t what has made Minnesota safer.”

She said it’s more effective to take a more comprehensive approach to public safety like what DFLers did over the last several sessions. “The numbers are showing that it is working.”