ST. PAUL — The Public Safety and Judiciary Omnibus bill passed the House Tuesday, having been stripped of all controversial or anti-police policy. The compromise bill that passed included the Officer Arik Matson Bill, which increases penalties for first degree assault of a criminal justice official. GOP Public Safety Lead, Rep. Brian Johnson, R-Cambridge, and Judiciary Lead, Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, released the following statement regarding the bill.
“This session Republicans stood up for our law enforcement and defeated countless anti-police policies that would have made it harder for police to do their jobs," Johnson said. "All session long, Democrats have demonized the entire law enforcement profession, further straining public trust and making it harder to improve police-community relations. This bill strikes the right balance of reasonable reforms along with accountability for criminals, protections for victims, and funding to help keep communities safe. Unfortunately, the bill did not include the necessary extension for mandated use of force training for officers, which is why I had to vote no."
The bill also included revisions to the criminal sexual conduct statute, which will bring justice to countless victims of sexual assault. It also lacked the harsh business mandates originally included in the Judiciary portion of the bill, such as the salary history ban and housing discrimination protections.
“This bill ensures equal justice for all in Minnesota," added Rep. Scott. "I am pleased that the legislature worked together to create meaningful reforms, especially in our state’s criminal sexual conduct statues to protect the victims of sexual assault. We also protected our businesses against new, stringent mandates. After a year where businesses suffered so much, I am proud that the legislature is helping job creators instead of imposing more burdensome regulations.”