Minnesota lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday after a 2023 session that culminated in the biggest budget in the state’s history.
Among the proposals within the public safety omnibus bill passed last year were money for light rail safety with extra enforcement by Metro Transit Police and teams of social workers to help people experiencing homelessness and substance abuse issues. The package also included funding to hire more criminal prosecutors in rural areas and new sharp limits on no-knock warrants, among many other policy provisions.
The Legislature also passed two major gun reform laws that allow people to petition a judge to have another person’s guns seized if they are deemed a threat to themselves or others by the court, and expands background check requirements for private gun transfers.
In addition to the policy measures, local governments received $300 million in aid from the Legislature last session – a priority for Gov. Tim Walz last session that local governments could use for recruitment and retention efforts, equipment like body cameras or other needs.
Lawmakers are heading into an even-numbered session that is normally dominated by the creation of a bonding package made up of asks from stakeholders statewide, but policy priorities are also expected to flood lawmakers’ agendas. Here is a look at some of the anticipated public safety issues lawmakers may take up this upcoming session:
School resource officers
A law passed last session restricting school resource officers (SROs) from using holds that involve putting weight on a student’s head, neck and throat or putting their face into the ground prompted a lot of controversy last year ahead of the new school year. Republicans, who deemed the law as part of an anti-police agenda by the DFL, had been calling for a special session to “fix” the language in the new statute after several law enforcement agencies pulled their officers out of schools as schools were starting last summer. Police agencies asked lawmakers for clarity in the statute’s language, which they said affected officers’ ability to determine what kinds of uses of force were allowed during violent incidents in schools.
Less than a week ahead of the start of session, DFLers Rep. Cedrick Frazier of New Hope and Sen. Bonnie Westlin of Plymouth released legislation aimed at clarifying the law for school districts and law enforcement agencies.
“We crafted this legislation to build on the important work we did in the 2023 session,” Westlin, the bill’s lead author in the Senate, said in a statement. “With the Attorney General’s expertise and guidance from numerous stakeholders, we’ve created a bill that will codify a comprehensive understanding of the role that school resource officers play in supporting our kids as they learn.”
Sen. Zack Duckworth, a Republican from Lakeville and GOP lead on the Senate Higher Education committee, said in a statement that he looks forward to clearing up confusion in the statute’s language felt by law enforcement.
The bill was heard in the first House Education Policy Committee of the year on Monday and passed.
“After spending all summer accusing Republicans of manufacturing the School Resource Office issue for political reasons, I’m genuinely happy to see that Democrats are finally joining us and admitting that the law they passed last year needs to be fixed,” Duckworth said. “We can fix the law and solve the problems created by this legislation once and for all.”
Limiting immigration enforcement
Sen. Omar Fateh of Minneapolis and Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton, both DFL, held a news conference Thursday introducing a bill that would prohibit state and local agencies from enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
The legislation, named after a coalition of groups called the North STAR Alliance, aims to restrict state resources from being used to target immigrant communities, and prevent private data from being acquired by immigration authorities for purposes of enforcement. It builds on efforts from last year aimed at improving conditions for undocumented immigrants, including a new law that removed the citizenship or legal status requirement to obtain a driver’s license.
Fateh cited the possibility of a victory in the general election later this year by former president Donald Trump, whose first term was characterized by restrictive immigration policies such as travel bans on people from Muslim countries and targeting undocumented immigrant communities.
“In these uncertain times, bold and decisive action to protect our immigrant communities is necessary,” Fateh said during a Thursday news conference. “We should not waste resources chasing (immigrants) down at the demand of Donald Trump, and no Minnesotan should have to think twice about calling 911 because their car was stolen or their child has a medical emergency.”
Possible supplemental budget money
In non-budget years, lawmakers often consider supplemental budget requests depending on urgent issues that arise before or during the legislative session, and the size of the state’s budget surplus – which the Minnesota Management and Budget agency projected to be $2.4 billion in December (though another forecast is just weeks away).
Among those pending requests could be money for Minnesota court interpreters, who began a work stoppage last month due to wages that have not kept up with inflation for nearly 30 years. DFL Sen. Ron Latz of St. Louis Park, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in an interview that funding for the Minnesota courts to remedy the issue could be on the horizon as he plans to hold a hearing on the issue in his committee in the weeks after the start of session.
The committee is also anticipating a funding request from the Minnesota Department of Corrections to hire more personnel.
Latz said it is clear some items will likely be heard in the committee, such as a technical fix to a new law limiting who can be charged with felony murder, and bonding requests that include a new headquarters for the Minnesota State Patrol. But, he said, he and his colleagues are still considering much of what will be prioritized. “We’re just gathering stuff right now – I’ve solicited input from other members of my committee and stakeholders are reaching out with their ideas,” he said. “What we’re going to be able to hear and what we’ll prioritize is all still to be determined at this point.”
Mohamed Ibrahim
Mohamed Ibrahim is MinnPost’s environment and public safety reporter. He can be reached at mibrahim@minnpost.com.
