Latz Helps Judiciary and Public Safety Finance Bill Through Senate

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 46) on Thursday presented a conference committee’s version of the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance Bill on the Senate floor, according to a news release from Latz’s office. The bill, which received yes votes from all but one senator, is the first of many conference committee budget packages.

“These are the core functions of government and we have made strategic investments within this area,” said Latz, whose district includes Golden Valley, Hopkins, Plymouth and St. Louis Park. “We have funded the ongoing levels of their services so we will be safer and whenever we access the justice system, on the justice side or the criminal side, we should have an efficient system and one where we will all be treated fairly.”

Latz, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised the way the bill invests in new funding for the Public Defense Board that will allow for new hires to decrease the caseload.

It also puts more money into Minnesota’s background check database system, which Latz thinks Latz believes these investments will aid the state’s attempt to reduce gun violence.

“We have been successful in threading the political needle on the issue of reducing gun violence by finding the funding and the language to fill in the gaps in the background check database, particularly to include the mental health civil commitment data,” Latz said. “I am very proud and really excited that we got that through.”

The conference committee report will now go before the state House.