Enhanced property arson bill gets committee OK, heads to House Floor

A law was enacted two years ago to increase felony penalties for wildfire arson based on certain damages.

Rep. Brian Johnson

Rep. Brian Johnson (R-Cambridge) sponsored that law, and now wants to provide harsher penalties for someone who intentionally starts a property fire — such as to a home, garage or vehicle — that injuries someone extinguishing the blaze, including public safety personnel.  

Sponsored by Johnson, HF801 was approved Wednesday by the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee and sent to the House Floor. A companion, SF1032, sponsored by Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), awaits action by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“If somebody sets a home, a business, a garage, a vehicle on fire and emergency personnel get injured there is nothing you can do about it criminally, unless they get killed,” Johnson said. “This bill says that if that person is caught and convicted there is repercussion.”

The bill calls for the following graduated felony penalties:

• up to 20 years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine for great bodily harm;
• up to 10 years imprisonment and a $15,000 fine for substantial bodily harm; and
• up to 5 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine for demonstrable bodily harm.

“This bill takes a look at the more traditional arsons,” said Bob Bieniek, an assistant Isanti County attorney and captain for the Hugo Fire Department.

A fiscal note for the bill showed zero additional cost.