Thursday, May 18, 2023
Political Mayhem Thursday: The Very Big Bill
Very late on Monday night-- actually, in the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday-- the Minnesota House passed a gigantic public safety bill that includes an amazing array of reforms. It has gone through reconciliation and passed in the Senate, so now it only needs the governor's signature... which should be coming later this week.
Here are just some of the provisions:
-- A thorough reform of the clemency process which will replace the requirement of a unanimous vote by the pardon board (the Governor, AG, and Chief Justice) with a 2-1 majority with the governor in the majority. It also creates a clemency commission to review petitions and hold hearings.
-- Creates a "red flag" law to allow an investigation and possible disarming of those constituting a threat to themselves or others.
-- Also closes the "gun show" loophole for background checks on gun purchases.
-- Boosts funding for Minnesota courts, including a big increase in funding for public defenders.
-- Expands restorative justice programs for juveniles.
-- Allows people in prison to slightly shorten their sentences (up to 17%) by pursuing programming and educational opportunities. (Republicans characterized this, somehow, as the "get out of jail free" provision).
-- Sharply limits the use of no-knock warrants.
-- Funds police recruitment to address a shortage of officers.
-- Allows for prosecutor-initiated resentencings in some cases.
-- Funds direct assistance to crime victims and their families.
-- Creates a new chargeable offense of carjacking.
-- Limits the ability of people to legally possess catalytic converters, in order to stop the fencing of these high-theft items.
-- Creates a specific crime of "Organized Retail Theft."
-- Limits the use of aiding and abetting to charge accessories as principles in murder cases and makes these changes retroactive.
-- Creates an "Office of Restorative Practices" within the state's Department of Public Safety.
-- Expands victim rights, including the ability of a victim to independently move for a speedy trial of the defendant, even if the defense has not demanded a speedy trial.
-- The membership of the Sentencing Commission will be expanded to include (among others) someone who has been incarcerated.
-- Terms of probation can be no longer than five years.
-- Creates new avenues for expungement, including automatic expungement for some lesser crimes.
-- Creates and funds a large batch of new programming and services in prisons.
-- Makes phone calls from prison free for both the caller and the recipient of the call.
-- Gets rid of the sentence of life without parole for those who committed their crimes as juveniles and creates a review process for juvenile offenders who receive long sentences.
And.... well, there's more. But that's a lot!
