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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Jenny Nash 651-296-4122
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POPPE PROVISION ON PARENTAL CHILD RESTRAINT ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING LAW
ST. PAUL, MN – Legislation to tighten Minnesota’s child abuse law and protect children is one step closer to becoming law. A Conference Committee Report dealing with vulnerable adult neglect (Senate File 1586) was adopted and within it is a provision creating a new category of felony for parental child restraint when "demonstrable" bodily harm is apparent.
Rep. Jeanne Poppe authored legislation in response to the sentencing of Brian and Charity Miller of Dexter who were convicted of chaining their 5-year-old son to his crib from bedtime until morning every night over a six-month period and withholding food and bathroom access to him and his 8-year-old brother. Because prosecutors could not demonstrate that the Millers’ caused “substantial" bodily harm to their sons the parents could only be charged with a gross misdemeanor instead of a felony.
The provision adopted in the Conference Committee Report allows for felony sentencing with a penalty of up to 2 years and/or a fine of up to $4000.
“The Conference Committee Report creates a new, third-tier sanction for unreasonable restraint of children with the penalty increasing from gross misdemeanor to felony. It tightens the law and ensures future incidents like the case in Mower County can be charged and punished to more appropriately fit the crime, which was our main objective. This is a case of a little boy telling a story and his teacher reporting it to authorities. Locally every public servant involved in this case stepped up on behalf of these young boys. There were challenges along the way but in the end this is an acceptable resolution and we are appreciative to House and Senate conferees for including the provision in the final report,” concluded Rep. Poppe.
The Conference Committee Report now goes back to the House and Senate for final passage before it is sent to Governor Mark Dayton for his signature.
News Items
- 2013 Legislative Session Wrap Up - (Posted: May 22 2013 2:49PM)
- Rep. Poppe: New Funding for Education Builds Well-Educated, Competitive Workforce - (Posted: May 22 2013 2:23PM)
- Rep. Poppe Praises 2013 Session for Focus on Education, Jobs, and Property Tax Relief - (Posted: May 21 2013 12:32AM)
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