On Tuesday, Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) was appointed to serve on the legislature’s conference committee for Senate File 803, the Omnibus Judiciary and Public Safety Bill.  Senator Johnson will join four of his Senate colleagues and five members from the House, who will work collaboratively over the coming days to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the omnibus bill.

“I’m honored to have been appointed to the Judiciary and Public Safety Conference Committee and look forward to working to improve our courts, law enforcement, and corrections systems,” said Senator Johnson. “As a member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and a practicing attorney I believe my experience will allow me to thoughtfully contribute during the upcoming negotiation process.”

The Omnibus Judiciary and Public Safety Bill was passed by the Senate earlier this month and dedicates $2.23 billion in funding to Minnesota’s public safety, and corrections departments and the Judicial branch over the next two years. The bill was passed with bipartisan support.

Conference committees will begin meeting in the next few days, and will continue negotiations until an agreement is reached. Once the conference committee report is passed, the report will head back to both the Senate and House to be voted on. If passed by both bodies, it will be sent to Governor Dayton for his signature to become law. The legislature has five weeks of session left under the state’s constitution and must have all bills submitted to the Governor by Monday May 22.