House committee hears bill to increase penalties for politically motivated arson

Representative Matt Hudson introduced House File 767 to the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on March 5, 2025, proposing an enhanced first-degree arson penalty when a fire damages a building that houses a political organization or when the offense was committed ‘‘in whole or substantial part’’ to make a political statement.

The bill, Hudson said, responds to a January arson that damaged offices housing three conservative organizations. "When your intention in committing an offense against somebody else is to keep them from being able to freely exercise their First Amendment rights, that's the heart of what this bill gets at," Representative Matt Hudson said.

Supporters who testified described the January incident as a targeted attack. Kendall Qualls, founder of Take Charge and a resident of Medina, said his office and two neighboring conservative groups were…