Nearly $26 million sought for multi-county medical examiner's office

Autopsies for a sizeable portion of the state’s population could be performed at a new Hennepin County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

HF517 would authorize $25.93 million in bonds to build a new 67,000-square foot facility at a proposed site in Minnetonka, just west of Interstate 494. The facility would provide forensic death investigation and autopsy services for Dakota, Hennepin and Scott counties, and have the flexibility to accommodate more counties in the future. It would also serve as a forensics teaching facility for the state.

Rep. Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake), the bill sponsor, said the Legislature provided $2.68 million in last year’s capital investment law for planning purposes.

The House Health and Human Services Finance Committee took no action on the bill Thursday during an information hearing.

A video shown the committee states the current facility, across the street from U.S. Bank Stadium, is usually at or above capacity simply with regard to storing bodies on the grounds. Infectious agents and bad smells can permeate through the ventilation shafts into different parts the building. The office space has almost no natural light, which is detrimental to morale for the staff.

Melissa Lallak, department administrator at the office, said the facility operates under the policy that if the coroner of any county requests them to do an autopsy, they agree to do it.

Rep. Diane Loeffler (DFL-Mpls) had toured the building, and gave a graphic description of the space shortage there. It was queasiness-inducing work, she said, and those doing it were confined to what amounted to a “shoebox.”

Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) confessed he had to sit down during parts of a tour and agreed a new building was needed.

The Senate companion is SF551, sponsored by Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake). It awaits action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee.