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Committee advances HF3230 after walk-through of capital and judicial security package; lawmakers back legislative security unit and residential protection
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Summary
House File 3230 (DE2) packages capital and judicial security appropriations, including ongoing weapons screening, judiciary courthouse grants, state patrol deficiencies, and an amendment (A3) that allows leadership to request residential protection; authors also proposed A2 to create a legislative services unit and task force to manage threats to lawmakers.
The House Public Safety Committee adopted DE2 to House File 3230 and heard a line-by-line walk-through from nonpartisan staff and agency witnesses of the capital and judicial security package.
Nonpartisan staff summarized appropriations for judiciary security (line items reported by staff, with figures described in the spreadsheet), a state patrol deficiency of $1.92 million in FY26, capital security screening enhancements and staffing, and legislature security costs. Staff reported a total bill spending figure of approximately $17.361 million in the current biennium with ongoing tails of roughly $13.715 million (figures reported in the committee spreadsheet).
Representative Greene and Representative Anderson introduced amendment A2 (presented in committee as a leadership priority) to establish a dedicated legislative services unit focused on detecting and responding to threats against lawmakers and to convene a task force to determine operational protocols. Greene described a sharp rise in threats to public officials and said a dual approach—real-time response and long-term strategy—was needed. Representative Anderson echoed the urgency and cited national trends and local incidents.
Judicial branch representatives and the state court administrator Jeff Shorba told the committee the judiciary has also experienced increased threats and that the proposed funding would support threat assessment, coordination with law enforcement, training and courthouse security grants.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson and Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogojevic described recent extraordinary demands (including June 14 events and other shootings), the importance of weapons screening and ongoing staffing at Capitol entrances, and plans to expand targeted training and threat-investigation capacity. Colonel Bogojevic described the current screening model (four doors covered during session, one door outside session) and said the bill would fund ongoing screening and capital-area enhancements.
The committee adopted an agreed A3 amendment to allow legislative leadership to request state patrol protection to a member’s residence for a limited time using existing resources in response to credible threats. The legislative services-unit proposal (A2) was presented and supported by members and multiple testifiers; committee members expressed broad support and urged further work to move the measures forward. HF3230, as amended, was laid over for further consideration.
