Minnesota lawmakers poised to OK $4.3M to hire more criminal prosecutors

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota House is expected to approve a bill Monday that will allocate nearly $4.3 million over the next three years to hire more criminal prosecutors in the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

Attorney General Keith Ellison says the extra prosecutors will allow him to prosecute 70 to 80 more serious crimes every year, almost all of them in greater Minnesota.

Most outstate county attorneys' offices have three or fewer attorneys. When a big case comes along it can severely stretch local budgets and personnel.

"We are talking murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, arson, manslaughter, serious criminal vehicular homicides," Ellison said.

The Minnesota Senate has already approved the funding, so if the House approves this, Gov. Tim Walz could sign the bill as soon as Tuesday.