Minn. Sentencing Guidelines Commission holds public hearing on 2025 amendments; director urges split of fentanyl-exposure offense and narrower deputy-assaultcon

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission held a public hearing July 17, 2025, in the Afton Room at the Department of Corrections Central Office in Saint Paul to consider proposed modifications to the 2024 Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines that incorporate changes from the 2025 regular session laws and technical fixes effective Aug. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026. Executive Director Nate Reitz presented two targeted revisions he said will improve clarity and better reflect legislative intent.

Reitz told commissioners he now recommends treating the new fentanyl-exposure offense as entirely separate from the existing methamphetamine-exposure crime and adding the fentanyl offense to section six’s permissive consecutive-sentencing list. "I now recommend treating the new fentanyl exposure offense as entirely separate from the existing…