Budget breakdown: MN makes sex trafficking a violent crime, funds new antitrafficking post
Nora G. HertelEditor's note: This story is one in a series featuring parts of the new, two-year state budget that affect Central Minnesotans.
Lawmakers have approved changes to Minnesota's sex trafficking laws that were requested by the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force, including Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall.
The task force had discovered the limits of existing laws after three years of cracking down on trafficking.
One new change will classify sex trafficking as a violent crime.
The changes were added to the state budget and approved in June.
They fall into five categories. Here's a brief summary of those categories from Kendall:
- "Increased recognition of trafficking as a violent crime and danger to public safety — these crimes regularly involve violence, and the danger to victims and others is high;
- Statutory maximum sentences needed to be increased to recognize that many traffickers already have significant criminal histories;
- Increased consequences for sex buyers, recognizing that demand drives trafficking, where trafficking occurs (public or private place) should not be a factor, and there should be increased consequences for repeat offenders;
- Increased protection of victims and children through higher supervision and crime levels for solicitation of children 15 years old and younger;
- Increased penalties to deter trespassing at emergency shelter or transitional housing."
RELATED: Central Minnesota task force urges lawmakers to classify sex trafficking as violent crime
St. Cloud DFL Sen. Aric Putnam and GOP Rep. Tama Theis worked on the bill, along with Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township, and Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul.
"We had very engaged full hearings on these changes in both legislative chambers," Kendall wrote in an email to the St. Cloud Times.
Maximum penalties for first and second-degree sex trafficking rose by five years to 25 and 20 years respectively. That takes effect Sept. 15.
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Starting that same date, it will be a gross misdemeanor to arrange to buy sex from a private setting and a felony to be twice convicted of patronizing prostitution in 10 years. It was already a gross misdemeanor to buy sex or arrange to buy sex in a public place.
The public safety two-year budget also includes:
- $820,000 for grants to help governments respond to sex trafficking crimes,
- $180,000 a year to help governments prevent sex trafficking and
- $250,000 a year for the next two years "for an antitrafficking investigation coordinator and to implement new or expand existing strategies to combat sex trafficking," according to the new statute.
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The coordinator must develop and implement training for law enforcement, medical and social services providers as well as prosecutors and community members. They will coordinate and monitor sex trafficking task forces and provide technical assistance on investigations and prosecutions along with other tasks outlined in the budget.
Nora Hertel is the government watchdog reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8746 or nhertel@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @nghertel.
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