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Hello from the State Capitol,
Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the omnibus public safety and judiciary finance bill. As co-chair of the Minnesota House judiciary finance committee, I helped craft this section of the bill, which will fund the needs of Minnesota’s court system and the agencies within its jurisdiction for the next two years.
Personally, I was pleased the proposal ensured priority funding to launch the Guardians ad Litem Volunteer Program and redirected current funding for cybersecurity and IT modernization.
Overall, this bill is a thoughtful approach as we reduced unnecessary spending in certain areas, prioritized the rising costs of insurance premiums so people aren’t going home with less money in their paycheck, and increased transparency to ensure state programs are efficient and accountable with taxpayer dollars.
The public safety portion of the plan attempts to end years of soft-on-crime policies that have made Minnesota less safe, instead focusing our efforts where they belong: holding criminals accountable, standing with law enforcement, and supporting crime victims.
Some of the highlights include increased penalties for first degree sex trafficking and arson, assaulting a jail deputy, and dealing fentanyl, and prioritized funding for police and first responders.
VIDEO UPDATE
If you’d like to hear my thoughts on the skyrocketing costs on free illegal immigrant health care, Attorney General Ellison’s federal lawsuit that would allow trans-identifying athletes to compete in girls sports, and the potential return of the Guardian ad Litem program, please click on the video below!
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