According to the StarTribune, members of the GOP introduced a slate of bills into the Minnesota House on Monday aimed at reducing violent crime in the Twin Cities and on the Metro Transit System. 
The proposals include higher penalties for gang members who use guns in crimes, additional funding to combat gangs and drug trafficking, requiring major sports and entertainment venues to have sufficient police nearby, and increased enforcement on the light rail system.
Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, said he hopes the bills will start a conversation on how the Legislature can support local law enforcement and, if needed, compel cities to direct more resources against gangs, violet crime and crime on the transit system, according to the StarTribune. 
The Pioneer Press reports House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt said at a Capitol news conference that while the DFL controls the House, Republicans hope their “Safety in our Cities” legislation will “jumpstart a discussion and combat the recent spike in crime in parts of the Twin Cities and on light rail.”
While the GOP lawmakers represent suburban and rural areas, Daudt said crime in the cities affects not only city residents but Minnesotans who travel to the cities for sporting events and concerts. “People’s safety when they visit Minneapolis and St. Paul is not a partisan issue,” he said, according to the Pioneer Press.
The StarTribune reports that Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused the Republican lawmakers of trying to make public safety a partisan issue, and accused them of spreading misinformation while providing too little financial assistance.