Senate Democrats recently forced through an extreme public safety bill that fails to legitimately address public safety concerns in Minnesota. That bill went to conference committee where it was discussed between 10 Democrats and 0 Republicans. As expected, gun control was shoved into the bill at the last minute. That bill came back to the Senate floor for a final vote, and though Republicans pointed out multiple issues with the bill, conference committee reports are unamendable. Now, we’re left with the worst public safety bill I’ve seen since I joined the Legislature.

Unsurprisingly, Democrats took the opportunity to include provisions for red flag gun laws and background checks. Last time I checked, criminals are the ones who don’t obey the laws on the books. So, by creating more restrictions on firearm ownership, the state is just punishing law-abiding citizens. This will do nothing to solve crime, it will just make it harder for law-abiding citizens to own a gun in an increasingly crime-ridden state.

One of the most dangerous parts of this bill makes thousands of criminals convicted of serious, and sometimes even violent crimes, eligible for early release. Instead of punishing those who have broken the law, and supporting law enforcement, Democrats are electing to enact provisions that let criminals back onto streets. That means time served will drop from 67% down to 50%. Minnesotans should be able to feel safe in their homes and communities—how would anyone feel reasonably safe knowing that criminals will be released before serving the duration of their sentence? Somehow, Democrats have decided that releasing criminals early is the best way to address public safety.

Another troubling portion of the bill fails to protect children by removing a provision that was added to clarify that pedophilia is not a protected class under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. This is something I thought legislators on both sides of the aisle could agree on. I was shocked that Democrats opted to remove this common-sense provision. This shows just how much they care about protecting children across the state.

This bill does nothing to get to the root of public safety problems. We had a $19 billion surplus, yet Democrats couldn’t find the funding for body cameras, school safety centers, and first responder mental health grants. Instead of punishing criminals, increasing penalties, and supporting law enforcement, this bill punishes law-abiding citizens, limits your Second Amendment Rights, and provides a “Get Out of Jail Free” card to criminals who haven’t served their full sentences. This is a horrible bill that will do nothing to make our state safer.