SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee passed HF 2432, the Public Safety budget bill. The bill reflects the bipartisan agreements between the House DFL and GOP caucuses. It includes $50 million in additional funding over the base per biennium.
The bill focuses on funding for victim services and de-escalation training for law enforcement. Minnesota’s victim services programs provide crucial services to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and general crime. These programs depend on federal funding which has been unstable in recent years and is at risk of being cut under the Trump administration. Ensuring the survival of these programs is crucial to public safety in Minnesota.
The law enforcement de-escalation training is a continuation of important training reforms enacted after Philando Castille’s death. Law enforcement agencies across the state rely on these training dollars.
“This is a good bill that reflects strong collaboration between our two caucuses. In a year that has been defined by chaos, I’m happy that we could work effectively together. I look forward to continuing to push for the strongest provisions of this bill in conference committee” said Kelly Moller (DFL - Shoreview), Co-Chair of the Public Safety Committee. “I’d like to thank our wonderful staff and committee members who helped this process move smoothly.”
Reflecting the Democrats’ priorities of a balanced approach to public safety, other major funding provisions include boosts to the operating funds of the agencies with large portions going to the Department of Corrections which has significant staffing costs to cover. The creation of a Minnesota Victims of Crime Account, managed by the Office of Justice programs, which will provide a sustainable source of funding for crime victim services grants. Lastly, it funds BCA fraud investigations, a part of the Democrats’ efforts to combat fraud across the state.
The fiscal spreadsheet is available here, the complete bill language can be found here. The bill passed on a unanimous voice vote and was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
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