Legislators in the Minnesota House of Representatives are considering a slate of bills that would direct money away from several programs established by Democrats in 2023, thus freeing up the state’s ability to address the looming budget deficit.
While Minnesota has a projected $456 million surplus in upcoming fiscal years 2026-27, the state is facing a projected deficit of nearly $6 billion the following two fiscal years. As such, elected officials have already begun the process of identifying ways to cut the state budget.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, politicians heard four bills that would provide the state with more financial flexibility. Among them was HF 2532, which would end the state’s Community Crime and Violence Prevention Account.
Created in 2023 by Democrats in control of state government, the Community Crime and Violence Prevention Account is a fund which issues grants to various groups “that operate crime or violence prevention and intervention programs that provide direct services to community members.”
When the fund was first established, $70 million was transferred to the account. According to state law, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety can receive up to $14 million every year from the account to issue grants.
Authored by Rep. Paul Novotny, R-Elk River, HF 2532 would eliminate the Community Crime and Violence Prevention Account and transfer the remaining $42 million in the account to the state’s general fund. Novotny serves as the committee’s GOP co-chair under a power-sharing agreement in the evenly split House.
Defending his bill during the committee hearing, Novotny said large organizations who pay their executives more than the governor were receiving grant funding under the program. The GOP lawmaker also noted that some of the issued grants were not focused on real public safety matters.
“We want good things to be done with money,” said Novotny. “We want responsible spending of money. If it’s something that’s gonna help a kid not get into crime, we’re absolutely for that. We’re not gonna stop that. But we want it to be done responsibly. We want good things to happen with money.”
Meanwhile, the DFL co-chair of the committee, Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview, expressed opposition to the bill, saying there are many organizations doing good work to prevent violence in Minnesota and “there is no reason to defund violence prevention.”
A similar bill from Novotny, HF 2892, would end the regular transfer of state dollars to the Community Justice Reinvestment Account and eliminate the account. Established in 2016, that account is used to issue grants for substance abuse and mental health programs.
Testifying in support of his bill, Novotny said the last year House fiscal staff could find records about where the account’s funds were sent was 2020. Despite this, state law mandates that the account receive $461,000 every year from the general fund. The Republican legislator said he was bringing this bill forward because of this problem.
Both of Novotny’s bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
In addition to the two aforementioned bills, the committee heard legislation that would end a state program that allows prison inmates to make free phone calls from state correctional facilities. Following a debate about whether taxpayers or inmates and their families should pay for the calls, the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
Another bill, HF 467, would delay a measure which sunsets the ability for state and local governments to impose correctional supervision fees on those serving probation sentences. The bill’s author, Rep. Bobbie Harder, R-Henderson, said her Democrat colleagues assisted in writing the language to delay the sunset on fees. According to the legislation, the sunset on correctional supervision fees will be delayed until 2029.
Harder’s bill was ultimately laid over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill.
“Minnesotans deserve a government that respects their hard-earned tax dollars,” Novotny said in a statement before the hearing. “These bills ensure that public safety funding is actually used for law enforcement—not diverted for political pet projects. While Democrats fight to protect wasteful spending, Republicans are committed to fiscal responsibility and keeping our communities safe.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
