Dear Neighbors, The legislature returned to St. Paul on Wednesday afternoon following a brief two-day break for the Passover Holiday. With less than a month to go until final adjournment, I expect many of the large omnibus budget bills to make their way to the House Floor beginning next week. I plan to give you additional details on these proposals in the days and weeks ahead. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to my office with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. My contact information can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Thank you for your support! Law Enforcement 365 InitiativeWe are so lucky to have amazing law enforcement professionals serving us in Lakeville and Dakota County. I am constantly impressed by their compassion, professionalism, and the commitment to service exemplified by officers and their families. Judging by the dozens of phone calls and emails I receive, it’s clear that the entire community stands behind law enforcement and the remarkable, selfless work they do every day. It's also no secret that recent years have been challenging for law enforcement, resulting in low morale and significant difficulties in recruiting. A recent survey by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association(MPPOA) underscored these challenges, with 80% of respondents expressing reluctance to recommend the profession to a family member and 98% voicing concerns about the risk of prosecution for on-duty officers. Here in St. Paul, we have seen the introduction of divisive bills that continue to demonize law enforcement professionals. These elected officials fail to recognize the impact our law enforcement officers have in our communities and schools —choosing instead to offer support only in the wake of tragedy. Law enforcement deserves our support 365 days a year, not just when tragedy strikes.  To bolster support for law enforcement’s crucial work, I worked to develop a legislative plan called the "Law Enforcement 365 Initiative. Here is a quick summary of the proposals: - House File 4837: Allows local law enforcement agencies to use funds from last year’s $300 million public safety aid towards expanded options like armored tactical vehicles.
- House File 4222: Expands the use of tracking devices for fleeing motor vehicles.
- House File 1079: Establishes a crime for fleeing in a motor vehicle and failing to obey traffic laws.
- House File 4452: Requires the prosecution of offenses punishable by life imprisonment and prosecutions of peace officers involved in an officer-involved death to proceed by indictment.
- House File 4866: Requires County Attorneys to disclose information regarding expert witnesses to peace officers in an officer-involved death incident.
These solutions aim to provide officers and their departments with the tools and support needed to keep our communities safe “365 Days A Year.” I am also working with our local departments to create legislation that addresses retention and recruitment of public safety officers who are in such high demand. I will continue to listen, learn, and work with law enforcement officers, local leaders, and community members to maintain safe neighborhoods for us all. The School Resource Officers (SROs) issue shows that when we listen, learn from the voices of law enforcement, work together, and do not care who gets the credit, we can accomplish great things for our communities. On behalf of us all, THANK YOU to all law enforcement officers and staff at the Lakeville Police Department and all departments across the state for putting on the uniform to protect and serve our communities! FiRST Center UpdateI am pleased to report that Lakeville recently secured $800,000 from the federal government to assist with the construction of the planned FiRST Center in Lakeville. The planned facility will provide space for south metro law enforcement, fire departments and other first responders to train.  I was proud to be the chief author of legislation last year that provided $7.1 million in state aid towards the construction of this important facility that will serve all of us in the south metro. |