House GOP Announce Proposal for Public Safety Improvements
St. Paul – On Wednesday this week, the Minnesota House Republican Caucus released their proposal to improve public safety. Their plan includes thirteen targeted provisions to keep violent offenders off the street, hold the criminal justice system accountable, and provide law enforcement with the resources they need to be successful.
Rep. Harder: “In recent years, it’s become increasingly apparent that Minnesota has become soft on crime with policies that have tied the hands of law enforcement, emboldened criminals, and degraded the safety of our communities.”
Key provisions in the proposal include:
- Mandatory minimum 10-year sentences for predators engaged in first-degree sex trafficking.
- Predatory offender registration required for offenders engaged in criminal sexual conduct who receive a stayed sentence from the courts.
- New and enhanced criminal offenses including blocking a freeway, highway, transit, or the road to and from the airport.
- Increased penalty for fleeing a police officer in a reckless manner.
- Increased penalties for individuals who conspire to trespass on or damage critical infrastructure such as pipelines, utility lines, and water lines.
- Increased penalties for assaulting a peace officer from a gross misdemeanor to a felony.
- Providing better access to the public on prosecutors’ charging and dismissal decisions, and court sentencing departures.
In addition to new tools for law enforcement and increased penalties for criminal conduct, the bill provides additional transparency to the practices of some criminal justice organizations that far too often provide a revolving door that puts criminals back onto the street without any public scrutiny.