Remove the "Drunk Loophole" from MN Law!

Conversation on this bill with Sen Murphy, Sen Port and Erin May Quade

Call to action! Content warning for this post, which discusses sexual assault.

Recently, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the conviction of a man who raped a woman who was intoxicated of her own accord. https://www.mprnews.org/.../mn-supreme-court-reverses...

Currently, state law is clear in its definition of being "mentally incapacitated," which is limited to being impaired against one's will. Unfortunately, the law is limited in scope. This means that this case and many like it would still be considered criminal sexual conduct, but to a lesser degree, and the perpetrator would not be a felon nor would they need to register as a predatory offender. Rape is rape, and we have too long in this country both culturally and legally not treated it as such.

There is an effort in the Legislature, which the Court affirms is "institutionally better positioned" to address this issue, to change the statute to include being intoxicated as mental incapacitation (among other changes). Drunk people cannot provide consent for the same reason children cannot provide consent: it is not "informed." The burden should not lie on the victim.

Please contact your state legislators and express support for HF707 (to Representatives) and SF1683 (to Senators) to eliminate the "drunk loophole" from state law .We encourage you to also message members of the Senate committee responsible for this as it has not yet received a hearing.

• Find your legislators: https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

• Contact members of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee and most importantly the committee Chair (Sen Warren Limmer - 651-296-2159, email: https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1032) and urge them to give this bill (SF1683) a hearing.

• Contact Sen. Senjem - 651-296-3903, email: sen.david.senjem@senate.mn - the author of the senate version of the bill (SF1683), and urge him to move the bill now.

More details here and in the video from Sen. Murphy’s Instagram video linked above.

We will be discussing this issue and calling lawmakers to get these bills, which have bipartisan support, passed at our next Time to Act on April 6, 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Join us!

Support Victims of Sexually Violent Crimes

Victims of sexually violent crimes should be able to come forward when they are ready.

Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Sandy Pappas have introduced a bill (HF3434/SF3206) to remove time limits for charging sexually violent crimes. If this passes, victims of these crimes, including sex trafficking, could report a crime against them when they feel ready.

Here is the Press Conference introducing the bill. It is well worth watching to understand why this bill is needed.

This bill needs your support. Here's how you can help:

For both HF3434 and SF3206, contact the Chair of the Public Safety Committees (House and Senate) as well as the MN Leg Leadership and tell them you support this bill and urge them to give it a hearing.

Contact your MN Senators and encourage them to sign onto this bill. Right now Sen. Pappas is the sole author of SF 3206.

Call them, email them, tweet them! Contact details:
Rep. Kurt Daudt (Speaker of the House) 651 296 5364
Rep. Joyce Peppin (Majority Leader) 651 296 7806
Sen. Paul Gazelka (Majority Leader) 651 296 4875
Rep. Johnson (Chair Public Safety Committee) 651 296 4364
Sen. Limmer (Chair Public Safety Committee) 651 296 2159

Contact your Senator.

"More women and more victims are feeling empowered and supported and feeling like it might be the right time to come forward with their stories and file a report. Having these kind of limitations takes away the choice for them to come forward when they feel like it is right for them." - Rep. Ilhan Omar