Anti-terrorism plan still in conference committee

From State Representative Doug Stang
Six months after the terrorist attacks on America, the Minnesota House passed a comprehensive homeland defense package that gives critical crime prevention and emergency response tools to state and local law enforcement. The Minnesota Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002 funds equipment and training for local units of government and enables Minnesota’s first responders to have the best tools available when they are putting their lives on the line.

In addition to this funding, there is a $26 million appropriation to improve the infrastructure for a statewide communication system contained in the House bonding bill. The House bill allows a wiretap to be issued for a specific person rather than a specific phone and expands wiretapping authority to keep up with technology improvements such as cell phones and the Internet.

The House proposal also creates new crimes to deal with terrorism, including a general crime of terrorism, using weapons of mass destruction, malicious placement of explosives, and tougher penalties for hoaxes, threats and obstruction of justice. In addition, the bill sets non-citizen drivers’ licenses to expire at the same time as their visas, and color-coded licenses based on residency and driving status.

The anti-terrorism legislation would expand the Governor’s emergency authority to peacetime emergencies, create a state registry of biological agents, and define and limit disease quarantine zones. All of the details of the House bill were developed after several legislative hearings and community forums with police, fire and first responders from across Minnesota.

The Senate has passed their version of the bill as well, but the differences between the two plans forced the legislation into a conference committee. The Senate plan includes a 9-1-1 surcharge increase on all Minnesotan’s phone bills, and also takes millions of dollars from the state’s general fund, at a time when we are trying to balance a budget deficit. The House, on the other hand, uses funds from the tobacco lawsuit endowment that are earmarked for anti-tobacco initiatives and advertising.

One thing is for sure – both the House and Senate are in agreement that we need to better prepare our state for a possible terrorist attack. Hopefully, a compromise will soon be reached that gives us the resources and information we need in case an emergency situation comes about. Our best defense against terrorism, though, is to be alert and aware, no matter where we go, but most importantly, in our own communities and neighborhoods. The safety and security of our friends, neighbors, and family members should always be our number one priority.

I will continue to keep you up to date as this conference committee moves ahead. If you would like more information on anti-terrorism efforts, please contact me at 597 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155; by phone toll-free at (800) 94-STANG; or by e-mail at . For periodic updates on the
session, go to my Web site at and click on “Email Updates.”