Today the Minnesota Senate passed the supplemental budget for Judiciary and Public Safety needs, after nearly six and half hours of debate, and more than a dozen accepted amendments.

“This bill is in much better shape because of the bipartisan work we did on the floor,” Senator Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) said. “Keeping the public safe should not be a partisan issue, and even when we disagree, we can still try to find ways to work together.”

Senate Republicans offered an amendment to prioritize funding for court operations, fund the Department of Corrections staffing budget, and provide more for crime victim services. A properly funded court and corrections system ensures timely trials and safer prisons. Instead, this bill stretched funding for jury reimbursements over three years, all but ensuring a fiscal cliff. It also ignores the overtime currently required to fully staff the state’s prisons, digging a deeper financial hole. The amendment also included $10 million for victim services, in line with Gov. Walz’s proposal from this year. This amendment was defeated on party line vote.

However, Republicans voted for several amendments aimed at targeting unlawful behaviors and increasing penalties:

• Increase penalties for swatting calls on elected officials, judges, law enforcement officers, and correction officers
• Make law enforcement body camera footage publicly available if the subject is an elected official
• Increase penalties on highway demonstrations
• Require the State Patrol to conduct a comprehensive study for the swift and safe removal of highway protests
• Close a loophole and create a specific crime of fleeing police in a car
• Create a crime of knowingly being in a stolen vehicle
• Allows for charges of attempted sexual exploitation

“Many of these amendments reflect the concern of fearful citizens who want government to increase the presence of law enforcement and desire a criminal justice system that prosecutes and convicts criminals,” Limmer concluded.

Democrats last year passed a “Get Out of Jail Free” public safety bill that gave early release to 92% of the prison population and had many vocal critics from law enforcement and victims. The adoption of two amendments in particular, indicate the Democrats may have overreached with last year’s bill. Several Democrats voted with Republicans to remove those convicted of human trafficking, criminal sexual conduct, manslaughter, or murder from early release through the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act.

It remains to be seen if any of these amendments will survive a conference committee.