By Rep. Jimmy Gordon, R-Isanti
I continue to hear from people in our district who want to know how we plan to address violent crime and keep our children safe – without infringing on law-abiding citizens or undermining our cherished Second Amendment rights.
House Republicans are ready to act with common-sense solutions that make a real difference instead of chasing policies that have already failed elsewhere. We recently introduced a package to protect students, expand access to mental health care, and hold criminals accountable. These proposals should have strong bipartisan support. In fact, a recent MinnPost article noted that DFLers generally support many of our ideas – but they raised concerns about funding.
Let’s pause right there. Public safety is the government’s top responsibility. Why are we scrounging for dollars to fulfill the state’s largest obligation while other questionable or flat-out wasteful government spending continues growing unchecked? Less than two years ago, Democrats spent an $18 billion surplus, raised state spending nearly 40 percent, and increased taxes by $10 billion. But now, with public safety at stake, they suddenly claim there’s no money? That’s completely out of touch with what Minnesotans expect from our state government.
Minnesotans deserve proven solutions that keep students safe, address the mental health crisis, and reduce gun violence. The House Republican plan focuses on three priorities: making schools safer, expanding access to mental health care, and ensuring violent criminals are held accountable.
Meanwhile, the governor has floated the idea of a special session, yet neither he nor DFL lawmakers have released any formal proposals. That raises questions, especially since such a serious issue deserves transparent, public debate, not a pre-set agenda arranged by the governor and select leaders behind closed doors. We need an honest conversation about all aspects of safety, including restoring the school security funding blocked by the DFL trifecta in 2023 and expanding access to urgently needed mental health resources, rather than vague calls for policies that have already failed to prevent gun violence in other states.
Another troubling development: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has announced her office will not prosecute most felony cases that stem from non-public safety traffic stops, such as expired registration or a broken taillight. While drivers can still be ticketed for expired tabs on parked cars, police will no longer initiate stops solely for this or other non-safety issues. This effectively gives criminals a free pass and is an insult to law-abiding Minnesotans.
We’ll see whether a special session takes place. I hope we can have a real conversation about all aspects of safety instead of vague demands for policies that have not stopped gun violence in other states. In the meantime, I appreciate the thoughtful feedback I’ve received from people in our district. Please continue reaching out as I keep doing my best to represent you and fight for real solutions.
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