Republicans accuse the Walz administration of trying to cap probation for felony offenses at five years, without proper public scrutiny. Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell responds the Sentencing Guidelines Commission set a December public hearing to ensure the legislature gives the issue attention during the 2020 session. “All we did was initiate a process that would involve… public input,” Schell says.
Republican Representative Jim Nash from Waconia objects it’s setting the stage for trying to push through the change without appropriate public input. He asks,”Is the governor comfortable with bypassing steps that should be taken that are for transparency’s sake?” Governor Walz was not immediately available for comment.