Increased domestic abuse resource funding proposed in new MN bill
Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - In an effort to help those who have escaped abuse, Minnesota lawmakers are considering whether to increase state funding in grants to several programs that are said to help survivors.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview), would add $20 million in fiscal year 2025 to the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs to issue grants for direct services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. The money would be in addition to any funding already provided for similar programs.
During a committee hearing on Thursday, several abuse survivors – both violent and sexual – testified on behalf of the need for further funding to ensure that safe pathways are available for Minnesotans to escape and regain a sense of normalcy and safety.
During emotional testimony, impassioned survivors urged lawmakers to increase the funding for programs they believed were life-saving in a time of need.
"We need long-term investments in victim services across our state, and we need it urgently," said Guadalupe Lopez, the executive director of Violence Free Minnesota.
According to Lopez, a record number of survivors are reaching out for services, at a time when 60% of programs are set to reduce services in Minnesota if they do not receive increased funding from the Minnesota Legislature.
However, across the aisle, GOP lawmakers took issue with where specific funding would go.
"It’s a travesty we’re asking for funding in a non-budget year when a building across the street is being built for $120 million, and that money could have gone to these brave women," said Rep. Elliott Engen (R-White Bear Township). "It doesn’t make sense to me, we’re talking about this amount … After all the money we spent last session."
An amendment offered by Rep. Engen would have re-routed increased funding to the Crime Victims Reimbursement program to allocate grants — an act that Engen said would have increased fiscal oversight. The measure ultimately failed to gain approval during a party-line vote.
"We don’t have an issue with the services, it’s the earmarking where it’s going – I understand the work, but this is a protest vote," said Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River). "Not all of the money will be going to victims, some of it will be cutting out other programs as a result."
In the proposal’s increased funding, "Staff shall prioritize culturally specific programs, or organizations led and staffed by persons of color that primarily serve communities of color."
Rep. Novotny took issue with the language that prioritized specific groups, saying, "I don’t know of anyone who asked the color of the victim before going to the call of a domestic abuse survivor."
The proposal was introduced and discussed on Thursday, and could be considered by several other committees focused on both health and safety this session before ultimately receiving a House Floor vote on its way to being finalized.