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State Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4224
For more information contact: Nick Halter 651-297-1934
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Fixing the Damage from Juvenile Records
St. Paul- New legislation would help out Minnesotans whose past has unfairly come back to haunt them. State Rep. John Lesch (DFL- St. Paul) was the author of the bill. It would allow someone to keep a human services job if they were convicted of a crime under the age of 18 and toughens the privacy of juvenile records. The measure passed the Legislature by a vote of 89-49.
We all know that people do stupid things when they are young," said Lesch. “But, this should not mean that it follows them around for their adult life while preventing them from getting a job they are qualified to hold.”
A key provision in the law would allow the Commissioner of Human Services to let an employee over the age of 21 to keep their job if they have a disqualifying crime on their record. That crime must have occurred while the person was younger than 18 and would not apply to those convicted as an adult. Before, human services were required to fire workers who were convicted of crimes when they were a juvenile. This hurt potential employees who were qualified and credentialed yet had made a mistake years ago.
“Hopefully with this passage, lawful Minnesotans held back by their past can move on,” said Lesch. “This will help people like a constituent of mine who was convicted for fighting as a 16 year-old and couldn’t get a job as an adult because of it. Our bill will help those who have been treated unfairly by the system and deserve a break.”
HF 3382 passed the Senate 47-17 and will be sent to the Governor for final approval.
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News Items
- Rep. Lesch, Senator John Marty and Revenue Commissioner Frans to talk tax reform with area residents at St. Paul town hall meeting - (Posted: 2012-12-12 00:00:00)
- Rep. Lesch Named Chair of the House Civil Law Committee - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- EARTH DAY A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION, ACTION - (Posted: 2012-04-17 00:00:00)
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