Senate Republicans introduced and heard a number of bills on public safety this week, many of which are geared towards headlines instead of safety for Minnesotans.
Bill introductions since the start of session have shown the true priorities of Senate Republicans: lowering the age for people to get a permit to carry to 18, eliminating the need to renew these permits, and allowing anyone to carry a gun at the State Fair. These bills come at a time when Minnesota is grappling with the aftermath of a school shooting and increased gun violence.
Senate Republicans also heard this week a bill without a guaranteed outcome in increasing the number of police officers across the state and a bill that would inject partisan politics in the state’s commission tasked with setting fair sentencing guidelines. While Senate Republicans have talked about public safety, they have not offered any solutions to reduce crime or prevent crime moving forward.
Senate DFLers, meanwhile, are offering bold proposals to make our communities safer. From focusing on youth intervention programs and the state’s Pathway to Policing program to increasing recruitment tools for local law enforcement agencies we are finding ways to reduce and prevent crime in the future, ensuring all Minnesotans feel safe in their communities. (SF 2989, SF 2745)
