Minnesota Senate passes 'tough on crime' public safety package

The Minnesota Senate passed a $200 million slate of "tough on crime" measures Monday, amid a nationwide rise in violent crime that has stoked community anxiety throughout Minnesota and exacerbated partisan divisions at the Capitol.

After more than four hours of debate, the Senate voted 48-19 to approve Republicans' public safety package. It focuses on recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers, increasing criminal penalties, making changes to sentencing guidelines and spotlighting prosecutors and judges who depart from those guidelines.

"We want to stop that revolving door of criminal activity," Senate public safety chair Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, said at a morning news conference.

Senate Republicans' proposals must still face off with House Democrats' $200 million public safety package focused on addressing the root causes of crime, and DFL Gov. Tim Walz's $300 million supplemental public safety budget directing aid to local law enforcement agencies.

In this election year, finding common ground may prove even more difficult, said Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis.

"Everyone is being challenged," he said. "That then forces people to think compromise is a bad word, as opposed to an important tool that you use in order to find agreement."

Senate Democrats' $500 million public safety package has not come up for a vote. Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen, DFL-Edina, said Senate Republicans' legislation "was about garnering headlines and political campaigning."

"Despite the claim that public safety is their top priority, Senate Republicans have chosen to ignore proven strategies that take a comprehensive approach to reducing crime," she said in a statement.

López Franzen successfully introduced an amendment during Monday's floor debate that bumped spending on youth intervention programs from $3 million to $5 million. Several Senate DFLers referenced the Star Tribune's reporting on the juvenile justice system in arguing for changes to Senate Republicans' proposals.

The Star Tribune on Sunday published the first story in its "Juvenile Injustice" series, which chronicles how shortcomings in Minnesota's juvenile justice system result in a high recidivism rate, a lack of rehabilitative services and a patchwork of local laws that are failing to intervene in the lives of troubled youth.

"We need a strong system of accountability and rehabilitation for all Minnesotans," said Walz in a statement reacting to the report. "We owe it to the victims of these crimes and their families to step in and stop this cycle of violence. That includes intervention, expanded mental health resources, and rehabilitation." Walz said in addition to his $300 million proposal, he wants to fund a juvenile justice package, including a Youth Justice Office at the Department of Public Safety.

DFLers brought up several proposals during the Senate floor debate, including $5 million for youth treatment homes in Ramsey County and $1 million grants for local governments to provide services to youth involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, noted the Star Tribune's "very moving and frustrating story" as she proposed an amendment that ultimately failed.

"We don't want to put youth in shackles and we don't want to lock them up," Pappas said. "But there are other approaches that we can take to intervene with these 10-year-olds, these 12-year-olds who are committing minor crimes, before they escalate."

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, whose office would get a grant under the Republican spending package to address violent crime, said the Star Tribune story highlighted longstanding gaps in the state's juvenile justice system.

"Many of these kids need to get their brains wrapped around the idea of accountability, and they need a structured place where they can get some assistance," he said.

Republican senators emphasized the concerns of victims of juvenile crime, and noted the closure of juvenile detention facilities such as Boys Totem Town in St. Paul.

"I know kids fall through the cracks," said Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, a former county sheriff. "However, these are some serious crimes that have been going on, and the public is asking us to step up and take the criminals off the street. And if that means putting them in jail, that's exactly what they want."

State Rep. Paul Novotny said in an interview that the Star Tribune story did not surprise him. The Elk River Republican, who recently retired from law enforcement after 33 years with the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office, said he was already planning to spend the summer talking to community members about possible solutions.

"I don't think it's just a 'lock them up' philosophy," Novotny said. "There's got to be that secondary step of working with these kids to point out that this isn't a video game, this isn't 'Grand Theft Auto,' these are real people being hurt."

Lisa Clemons, founder of the street outreach group A Mother's Love Initiative, applauded the Star Tribune report for highlighting mothers' pleas for intervention. She said she believes elected officials should convene a working group of those women to offer potential solutions.

Not every child is better off in the community, she argued, and there's a clear need for more residential treatment options — particularly for youth who commit violent or repeat offenses, who would most benefit from specialized treatment for substance use disorders.

"There is no place to do that," said Clemons, a retired Minneapolis police sergeant. "We can't just keep sending them back when families are telling you 'I can't control them. They're not listening. They don't come home.'"

Staff writers Liz Sawyer and Chris Serres contributed to this story.