Minnesota Senator Gene Dornink (R-Hayfield) is pleased to be a co-author on SF 82, a bill introduced today which strengthens state criminal penalties against individuals who are convicted of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, judge, prosecutor, or correctional officer. The legislation increases the minimum sentence from 20 years with release under supervision after two-third of the sentence is served to life incarceration with a minimum of 30 years in prison before being eligible for release.

The legislators were joined at a press conference in support of the bill by Officer Arik Matson, a Waseca police officer who was nearly killed in the line of duty last January,  as well as Officer Matson’s wife Megan, Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters, and Law Enforcement Labor Services Executive Director Jim Mortenson.

“We are extremely grateful for Minnesota’s police officers, judges, prosecutors, and correctional officers,” Senator Dornink remarked, “and we need to do what we can to protect those whose duty it is to protect us.”