The first bills of session + honoring Officer Matson
By: Senator Julie Rosen

Those of us in southern Minnesota, and especially Waseca, know the name Arik Matson very well. He is the Waseca police officer who was shot in the head while responding to a disturbance last January. Since then he has made an incredible recovery. He still has a long way to go, but it seems as though each update is more encouraging than the last.

Officer Matson’s incident revealed a gap in criminal penalties for these types of vicious crimes. So this week, the Senate introduced a bipartisan bill (Senate File 82) that would close that gap and make sure officers receive justice. The bill would increase the minimum sentence for the attempted first-degree murder of a police officer to life incarceration, with a minimum of 30 years served before being eligible for release. The penalty would also apply to judges, prosecutors, or correctional officers. 

This is a great way to show Minnesota’s law enforcement officers that we appreciate everything they do to keep us safe. An attempt to kill an officer of the law is an attack on the safety and security of our communities, and must be met with a punishment that is severe as the crime. As Megan Matson said during the press conference, this is a terrific way to say thank you to Minnesota’s police officers.

I have also introduced a series of bills that will make it easier to balance the state budget, protect taxpayers from tax hikes, and provide additional accountability for the state’s finances heading into the 2021 budget year.

Senate File 3 requires each state agency to find 5% savings within their budgets. The requirement would not apply to the Department of Human Services Direct Care and Treatment Program, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The only way to balance the budget is by making government tighten its belt. We cannot raise taxes. With families across Minnesota facing incredible financial hardship or, in many cases, on the verge of losing everything due to Covid restrictions, it is perfectly reasonable to ask state agencies to trim 5% from their budgets.

Senate File 7 prevents the state’s disaster recovery account from being used to rebuild Minneapolis and St. Paul after last summer’s riots and lawlessness. The disaster contingency account is an emergency fund intended to be used to help communities clean up after unforeseen disasters like tornadoes or severe thunderstorms. A comprehensive report on the riots found the worst of the damage could have easily been avoided had city and state leaders acted faster and more decisively.

Communities throughout Minnesota depend on the disaster account to help them rebuild when real disasters strike. We can’t jeopardize that account in order to provide cover for Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey after they failed to protect Minneapolis. I am incredibly sympathetic to the mom-and-pop shops that were damaged during the riots, but Minneapolis and St. Paul must find the resources to help those businesses.

Senate File 8 provides for legislative authority over federal Covid assistance. The legislature is the body of government tasked with appropriating money, but until now the governor has had the sole discretion to distribute federal Covid dollars. 

The constitution is explicit that the legislature is the branch of government that handles the purse strings. This legislation would restore accountability, transparency, and public input over the process of distributing Covid aid.

If you have any questions about these issues or any other legislative topic, reach out to me any time at Sen.Julie.Rosen@Senate.mn. Look forward to hearing from you!