Minnesota State Representative Paul Torkelson announced on Apr. 23 that the Minnesota House is moving forward with several pieces of legislation aimed at protecting the public, including measures to address grooming in schools, increase penalties for sextortion crimes, and regulate electric motorcycles.
These legislative efforts are intended to respond to incidents that have highlighted gaps in current laws. Lawmakers say the proposed changes seek to strengthen protections for vulnerable individuals and improve public safety.
“We have heard several horrible stories in our House committees that highlight the need for stronger safeguards,” Torkelson said. “I’m pleased we’re coming together in bipartisan fashion to move these proposals forward.”
Torkelson, who serves as co-chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said his committee has approved all of these bills and sent them to the full House for debate. The school grooming bill was drafted after a Minnesota student reported being groomed and sexually assaulted by her high school band teacher. The bill includes clearer supervision rules during field trips, improved mandatory reporting requirements—including training mandated reporters about grooming—and creates a new felony penalty specifically for grooming offenses involving children or youth.
The House also advanced a proposal increasing penalties for sextortion crimes following a case where a 16-year-old boy from Olivia died by suicide after falling victim to an online sextortion hoax. Under this legislation, if sextortion substantially contributes to great bodily harm or death of a victim, offenders could face up to 10 or 15 years imprisonment respectively and fines up to $30,000.
Another approved measure would require electric motorcycles (e-motos) to follow the same rules as other motorcycles after an incident in Hastings where a woman was seriously injured by an e-moto operated on a sidewalk by a teenager. Torkelson said legislative action is necessary “before more people – who aren’t even driving them – are accidentally injured, or worse.”
