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State Representative Kurt Zellers
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5502
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: PUBLIC SAFETY
Fellow District 32B residents,
This year over 2,500 bills were authored by members of the legislature.
Some of these bills become laws, but many do not. In an effort to wade through all of these bills and give you an idea of what became law and what was vetoed by the Governor, I have started a series of email updates on the major issue areas. Some of these areas will include education, environment, transportation, healthcare, taxes, and public safety, just to name a few. As we go through this series I would encourage you to contact me with any questions you might have about these topics. And please contact me if you have a question or suggestion for a future email update.
This week’s email update is a recap of action taken in the area of public safety.
Introduction
One of governments’ most important functions is to ensure the safety of its citizens. As a legislator I take this responsibility seriously. Every citizen should feel safe in their homes and in their communities. As a member of the Public Safety committee, my focus was on enforcing the laws, to their fullest extent, and helping the victims recover.
There are some in government that believe we can rehabilitate all criminals; and I am willing to give them that opportunity, after they have paid their debt to society for the crime that they have committed. However, if the continue to commit the same crimes or escalate to more and more violent crimes; they are breaking the common bond be have as a democracy to live peacefully together. At that point we as a society have to make a decision to lock them up for a longer time and not allow them to prey on more of our innocent citizens.
Increased Penalties
Penalties for theft were increased by doubling the monetary threshold. All theft thresholds with the exception of bad checks, which remained at a felony at $500, were increased to reflect the effect of inflation over the past twenty years.
Burglary crime was changed by adding government buildings, religious establishments, school buildings and historic places to burglary in the second degree if one enters these buildings and commits, or intends to commit a crime of theft or criminal damage to property. The maximum penalty for second-degree burglary is ten years’ imprisonment and/or a $20,000 fine.
Criminal vehicular operation law was expanded to make it a crime in situations where the driver had actual knowledge that a peace officer had previously issued a citation or warning that the vehicle was defectively maintained, the driver had actual knowledge that remedial action was not taken, the driver had reason to know that the defect created a present danger to others, and the injury or death was caused by the defective maintenance. Trailers were also added to the statute.
Helping Domestic Abuse Victims
Protecting victims of domestic violence is a very serious subject that many in our community deal with on a daily basis. The first and most critical step is removing the victim from the violent environment. After that, we need to provide the technical and emotional support that will allow the victim to heal and rebuild their lives.
In 2006, 20 women lost their lives due to domestic violence, and more than 58,500 women were served by battered women programs.
The bill passed by the legislature in 2007 would provide over $2 billion in funding for the court system, the Department of Corrections, re-entry and youth intervention programs, and grants to law enforcement agencies. It also included policy changes dealing with copper wiring theft, domestic abuse no contact orders and stronger protection for victims of sexual abuse.
Domestic abuse victims have a right to terminate a lease. This provides that a tenant who is a victim of domestic abuse and fears imminent danger may terminate a lease agreement by providing written notice to the landlord. The tenant is responsible for the full month’s rent in which the lease is terminated and an additional month’s rent plus other sums owed before the lease was terminated.
Putting More Judges On The Bench
The Minnesota Court of Appeals and the District Trial Courts received funding to provide for three new judges at the appellate level and seven new judges at the trial courts. The First Judicial District received three judges, one judge in the Seventh District, one judge in the Ninth District and two judges in the Tenth Judicial District.
This will enable Minnesota’s court system to keep pace with rising caseloads and expand capacity to handle cases in a timely manner.
Potential Topics This Coming Session
Illegal immigration will be discussed this coming session. Governor Pawlenty has recently unveiled a series of initiatives to combat the growing illegal immigration problem in Minnesota. Some of these initiatives, which I support, include:
Prohibition of city "sanctuary" ordinances that prohibit police from inquiring about immigration status.
Strengthened human trafficking laws.
Enhanced penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
Increased penalties for identity theft.
Establishing the crime of "aggravated forgery" of the underlying documents used to obtain legitimate identity documents.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the areas where the legislature is working to assure the safety of the citizens of Minnesota. There will be more ideas brought forward in the next legislative session that begins in middle of February. As these ideas are introduced I will share them with you in these email updates. If you have a specific issue that you would like to see addressed please email me or call me at the numbers listed below.
If you have any questions about specific areas that are not mentioned or if you would like a more detailed explanation of some of the areas I discussed – please feel free to contact me by replying to this email or calling my office. Also, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website has some good resources. Their website is www.dps.state.mn.us.
Thank you again for signing up for these Legislative Updates! And, please email me with any questions or policy areas that you would like to see explained or discussed in a future Legislative Update. Thank you, again, for the privileged of representing you in St. Paul!
Best personal regards,
Kurt
News Items
- Legislative Update (April 20, 2013) - (Posted: Apr 20 2013 2:43PM)
- Zellers Statement on House DFL Budget Framework - (Posted: Mar 19 2013 4:57PM)
- ZELLERS STATEMENT ON FEBRUARY FORECAST - (Posted: Mar 1 2013 6:02PM)
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