Bill to buy ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" introduced Friday
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota legislators have introduced a bill to allocate money to the Minnesota Historical Society to purchase the iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz."
The slippers - one of four known pairs to exist - were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005. The alarm system didn't go off and no fingerprints were left behind - just a single red sequin. They were recovered by the FBI during a sting operation in Minneapolis 13 years later.
For years, many speculated that the burglary was an inside job, but on Wednesday, 76-year-old Grand Rapids native Terry Martin was charged with stealing them. He has a previous felony conviction from 1986 for receiving stolen goods out of Hennepin County, and was unknown to employees of the museum.
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The slippers are worth at least $100,000. The bill stipulates that the slippers must be publicly displayed by the Minnesota Historical Society, which can lease or loan them to the Judy Garland Museum.
The bill was introduced on Friday morning, days before the 2023 session is set to wrap up. It's backed by six Republican legislators mostly from northern Minnesota.