Capitol recap: Area legislators reflect on session

Each year, it is a tradition at Press Publications to touch base with local state representatives and senators to find out how they feel about the legislative session that just wrapped up.

Rep. Kelly Moeller District 40A

This session was historically productive, and will result in transformational change for many Minnesotans across the state. I’m proud of what we accomplished and know that our community will see real benefits.

We took definitive action to reduce gun violence by enacting criminal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and red flag laws to prevent those likely to cause harm from doing so. We also passed my provision to increase penalties for those who possess the illegal devices that make guns fully automatic.

My bill to reduce the turn-around time for processing rape kits passed, and we provided funding for forensic scientists at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to reduce backlogs in evidence turn-around time. We took action on crime, including gun violence, fentanyl dealing, organized retail theft, crimes motivated by bias, and more. We made a new crime of carjacking and passed my bill to help law enforcement apprehend offenders using technology. We provided funding for officer recruitment and violence prevention.

The Legislature invested in Minnesota’s future through numerous proposals directed at youth, including Great Start scholarships for early learners and additional investments in our K-12 students that are linked to inflation. This will benefit our school district and create high quality education across the state. We also provided funding for more mental health supports for students, and my bill to help school districts with their policies around student mental health and suicide prevention passed.

We took action to address climate change and to fix our aging infrastructure. My bonding bill to provide financial assistance to build a new facility for our Lake Johanna Fire Department was enacted. Finally, the Legislature delivered the largest tax cut in state history with credits, rebates and other provisions designed to maximize benefits for workers, families and seniors. It also addressed years of rising property taxes and underinvestment in local communities. This has been a great year, and I thank you all for your support and input. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Sen. John Marty

District 40

The 2023 Session was incredibly productive in addressing Minnesota’s challenges. After years of gridlock, we moved towards an economy that works for everyone — strong schools, safer communities, protection of reproductive and human rights. I didn’t succeed in everything I fought for but, overall, it was a great year for legislation leading to a brighter future. Workers struggling to support their families will receive significant tax cuts that will reduce the

SEE CAPITOL RECAP, PAGE 11

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Ramsey County Sheriff Reports

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents in Shoreview:

• A Shoreview man, 37, was arrested May 14 in the 5900 block of Rice Creek Parkway for disorderly conduct and was transported to Regions Hospital because Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office deputies needed to deploy a less lethal 40MM Taser to subdue him.

• A Keep Our Kops Safe (KOPS) alert for assault was issued on a Shoreview woman, 31, May 15, after deputies were called to the scene of a domestic in the 3400 block of Victoria Street N. and discovered that the offender had fled before they arrived.

• A Shoreview man reported a set of wheels and tires stolen from the back of his truck while it was parked in a hotel lot in the 5900 block of Rice Creek Parkway overnight May 15-16.

• After harassment was reported May 15 in the 900 block of Monterey Court N., the subject agreed to stop the behavior. Nevertheless, the victim was advised on ways to obtain a harassment restraining order (HRO). Harassing texts were reported received May 16 in the 5700 block of Ridge Creek Road. Deputies advised the complainant on how to go about obtaining an HRO. Harassing text messages and calls were reported received May 16 in the 3500 block of Owasso Street. Deputies also advised this complainant on how to obtain an HRO.

• Residents in the 5000 block of Ridge Creek Road reported receiving suspicious looking documents May 16. On arrival, deputies verified that the complainant had correctly identified the documents as fraudulent.

• Deputies responded to an ongoing neighbor dispute about water drainage between properties in the 5800 block of Buffalo Lane on May 16. After talking to both parties, deputies advised the complainant on how to go about obtaining an HRO.

• Deputies were dispatched out to assist the Minnesota State Patrol at 5:43 p.m. May 17 in the area of Highway 10 and I-35W after a vehicle in a ditch that the occupants were seen fleeing from turned out to be freshly stolen out of Ramsey County. The State Patrol arranged for the inoperable vehicle to be towed. At 5:54 p.m., a Minneapolis woman reported that her unlocked vehicle with the keys inside was stolen from the Rice Creek Dog Park in the 5900 block of Lexington Avenue N. while she was walking her dog. The registered owner was notified that her vehicle had already been recovered in the area of Highway 10 and I-35W.

• A window screen in the 3400 block of Kent Street was reported damaged at 4:00 a.m. May 18, possibly by someone seeking access to the building.

• A license plate was reported stolen May 18 from an auto parked in an employee lot in the 3800 block of Lexington Avenue N. The plate was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.

• A juvenile male was arrested for arson at 8:53 p.m. May 18 after witnesses observed him and another juvenile setting an On Site handicapped portable toilet on fire in the area of Mackubin Street and County Road J. The youths were seen fleeing the area and getting into a silver van, which was later located at the address of the registered owner. The fire was extinguished by the Lake Johanna Fire Department, and the youth was detained and interviewed before being turned over to his parents.

• A Shoreview man, 28, was arrested on a felony warrant May 19 in the area of Victoria Street and Randy Avenue following a traffic stop for lane line violation. He was transported to the Ramsey County jail without incident.

• A citizen reported finding a set of keys on the walking path May 20 and turned them in to deputies on stationary patrol at Lake Owasso County Park May 21. Deputies took custody of the keys and entered them into property.

• A Marshall man, 23, and two St. Paul men, 29 and 39, were arrested at 1:38 a.m. May 21 in the 4300 block of Snail Lake Blvd. for possession of burglary tools and narcotics. The case was sent to the county attorney’s office, which declined prosecution.

• A Minneapolis man, 44, was arrested for DWI at 4:07 a.m. May 21 on I-694 and Lexington Avenue N. after Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched out to assist the Minnesota State Patrol on a driving complaint of a wrong way driver on the Interstate. Deputies located the driver and conducted a traffic stop. The subject performed poorly on the standard field sobriety tests and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.17 on the Datamaster test. He has been charged with third-degree DWI.

• A Lindstrom woman and a Shoreview woman reported a purse stolen May 21 while their vehicle was parked at Sitzer Park in the 4300 block of Hodgson Road. As they were watching a youth baseball game, the front passenger window of their vehicle was broken in for access and the purse, hidden under a hat in the front seat, was stolen.

• A St. Paul woman, 23, was arrested for robbery after an incident that occurred May 21 at the Shoreview Target in the 3800 block of Lexington Avenue N. At the store, she threatened a store employee with a gun when loss prevention personnel attempted to detain her and her accomplices for shoplifting. The employee let her go with $313.86 in toys, clothing and personal items, but noted the license number of her get-away convertible. A prominent tattoo seen on store surveillance video and the suspect’s Facebook photos positively identified her five days after the initial incident. Her accomplices in the shoplifting spree included another adult woman and two underaged girls.

• A New Brighton man, 35, was cited for fifth- degree assault and harassing behavior at 10:53 p.m. May 21 in the 900 block of Monterey Court, following a domestic.

• A St. Paul woman, 22, was cited for obstruction at 11:26 p.m. May 21 in the area of Owasso Blvd. and North Owasso Court following an investigative traffic stop that turned into a medical hold at Regions Hospital.

• A walk ramp was reported stolen from a work vehicle parked in a hotel lot the 5900 block of Rice Creek Parkway sometime over the weekend of May 19-22.

• A catalytic converter was reported stolen from a Hyundai Tucson parked in the 1000 block of Gramsie Road overnight May 21-22.

• A resident in the 700 block of Doris Avenue was issued a written warning May 22 for intentionally feeding wild animals within the city, after the doe and fawn he was feeding attacked the neighbor’s dog.

• A Shoreview man, 63, was cited May 23 in the 1700 block of Terrace Drive for failure to comply with requirements dealing with a potentially dangerous dog.

• A Vadnais Heights man, 35, was arrested on a warrant out of Wisconsin May 24 in the area of Rice Street and Colleen Avenue after deputies responded to a report of a vehicle blocking the road.

• A Shoreview man, 47, was cited May 24 in the 5800 block of Hamline Avenue N. for allowing his dog to wander the neighborhood at large as part of an ongoing issue. Animal control officers contained the dog on Dunlap Avenue and impounded it at the Animal Humane Society in Woodbury. The owner will need to follow the conditions of Minnesota Statute 343.235 to regain custody of his dog.

• Clothing and unidentifiable bones were reported found May 24 near a bench on the trail in the 1900 block of County Road I. Photos of the bones have been sent to the lab for analysis to determine whether they are human or animal.

• Violation of an order for protection (OFP) was reported May 25 in the 500 block of Tomlyn Avenue after a male made telephone calls and sent text messages to the person who took out the order against him. The case has been forwarded to the city attorney for consideration of charges.

• A Minneapolis man, 33, was arrested May 25 following a domestic in the 500 block of Arner Avenue, and a Minneapolis woman, 23, was arrested on an outstanding warrant during the same incident. Prosecution was declined.

• A Blaine woman reported hit-and-run to her vehicle May 25 in a parking lot in the 4500 block of Hodgson Road, after the person who hit her vehicle didn’t stop to exchange insurance information. Deputies were able to locate the other driver and facilitated the exchange of insurance information.

Loretta Harding