| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to public safety; increasing penalties for obstructing traffic access to a |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 trunk highway or airport; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.74. |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.74, is amended to read: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 609.74 PUBLIC NUISANCE. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 (a) Whoever by an act or failure to perform a legal duty intentionally does any of the |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8following is guilty of maintaining a public nuisance, which is a misdemeanor: |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (1) maintains or permits a condition which unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10the safety, health, morals, comfort, or repose of any considerable number of members of |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11the public; or |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 (2) except as provided in paragraph (b), interferes with, obstructs, or renders dangerous |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13for passage, any public highway or right-of-way, or waters used by the public; or |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (3) is guilty of any other act or omission declared by law to be a public nuisance and for |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15which no sentence is specifically provided. |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (b) It is a gross misdemeanor for a person to interfere with or obstruct traffic that is |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17entering, exiting, or on a freeway or entering, exiting, or on a public roadway within the |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18boundaries of airport property with the intent to interfere with, obstruct, or otherwise disrupt |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19traffic. This paragraph does not apply to the actions of law enforcement or other emergency |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20responders, road or airport authorities, or utility officials, or their agents, employees, or |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21contractors when carrying out duties imposed by law or contract. For purposes of this |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1.22paragraph: (1) "airport" means an airport that has a control tower and airline service; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 24 | 24 | | 25-00138 as introduced11/12/24 REVISOR KLL/DG |
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| 25 | 25 | | SENATE |
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| 26 | 26 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
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| 27 | 27 | | S.F. No. 1501NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 28 | 28 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: KREUN, Nelson and Seeberger) |
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| 29 | 29 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
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| 30 | 30 | | Introduction and first reading02/17/2025 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety 2.1(2) "freeway" means any section of a divided highway where the only access and egress for |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.2vehicular traffic is from entrance and exit ramps. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.3 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2025, and applies to crimes |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.4committed on or after that date. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 25-00138 as introduced11/12/24 REVISOR KLL/DG |
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