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House passes judiciary and public‑safety omnibus amid heated floor fight over germaneness rule

April 26, 2025 | 2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota


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House passes judiciary and public‑safety omnibus amid heated floor fight over germaneness rule
The Minnesota House passed House File 2432, a judiciary and public‑safety omnibus, after extended floor debate and a series of amendments and procedural appeals. The final vote on third reading was 128–4 in favor of the amended bill.

Committee co‑chair Paul Novotny (Sherburne) and co‑chair Representative Mueller (Ramsey) described the bill as a negotiated package covering judiciary operations, corrections, public safety training and victim services. Mueller told the chamber the bill included funding and policy for victim services, law enforcement training and recruitment and noted the committee ‘‘was given a target of 50,000,000 in each biennium’’ but that the target did not fully cover operating adjustments for agencies such as the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Department of Corrections.

Several floor amendments were offered and disposed of. An amendment led by Representative Scott to increase transparency for small cities about settlement agreements with employees was adopted by voice vote. Representative Robbins offered an amendment, carried in part in honor of a constituent, aimed at closing a statutory gap involving excessive speed offenses; the amendment received bipartisan backing and was adopted. An amendment offered by Representative Niska concerning disclosure of attorney‑general office records was withdrawn after debate.

The bill’s floor debate also included a dramatic, sustained dispute over the chamber’s supplemental germaneness agreement (referred to as rule 13.3 in the supplemental rules and House Rule 3.21). Representative Niska and others argued the supplemental language was intended to block ‘‘rogue’’ amendments and that prior leader conversations informed their interpretation. Other members—including Representatives Greenman, Kraft and multiple Democrats—argued the plain text required the affirmative vote of at least one member of each caucus to sustain the speaker’s ruling on germaneness appeals. The point was appealed and a roll‑call on the appeal produced a 67–67 tie; the chair’s ruling stood on the tie vote.

Representative Reimer (Chisago) offered an amendment (A15) that would have required reporting certain arrests of undocumented persons to federal immigration authorities and limited local restrictions on cooperating with federal immigration agents; the measure was debated at length, drawing opposition from law‑enforcement associations, victim‑service providers, public defenders and immigrant‑community advocates who argued it would chill victim reporting and compromise constitutional protections. The transcript records extended debate and roll‑call activity on amendments; the omnibus bill passed as amended later in the session.

The bill covers a mix of policy changes and fiscal items: funding to assist victim services, modest operating support tied to corrections and BCA needs, provisions on transparency for local governments, and technical and policy changes requested by the judiciary and public‑safety committees.

The clerk recorded the final vote as 128 ayes and 4 nays; the bill passed and its title was agreed to.

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