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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Tony Cornish (R)

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REP. CORNISH UNVEILS PUBLIC SAFETY FINANCE BILL

Thursday, March 23, 2017

 

ST. PAUL – State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center), who chairs the Minnesota House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee, has unveiled legislation that will fund judiciary and public safety priorities over the next two years.

 

“Not only will this proposal help keep Minnesotans safe, but it also takes major strides towards strengthening our law enforcement system and better protecting victims of sexual abuse,” Cornish said.

 

Cornish said the plan funds public safety at nearly $2.3 billion over the next budget cycle, which includes the budgets of the Department of Corrections, six of the 11 divisions of the Department of Public Safety, Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Courts, Tax Court, Board of Judicial Standards, Guardian Ad Litem Board, Public Defense Board, Sentencing Guidelines Commission, Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, and Uniform Law Commission.

 

Cornish said the bill allocates new money to local law enforcement agencies to help them pay for officers’ training costs, improves our judicial system, and allows the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to replace an outdated predatory offender registry.

 

The bill also increases penalties against those who choose to participate in illegal protests that put people’s lives at risk, and provides new revenue to address domestic violence prevention and terrorism recruitment.

 

Cornish said the bill also targets sex offenders by issuing stronger penalties and longer supervision for convicted sexual predators, dedicates funds for additional sex trafficking prevention grants, and increases penalties against those who possess and disseminate child pornography.

 

“To keep Minnesota safe, we need to give law enforcement the tools they need to succeed and have statutes that keep criminals off the streets, and I believe this bill accomplishes both of these goals,” Cornish said.