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Bill to buy ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" introduced Friday

WCCO archive: Missing ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Ruby Slippers Found After 13 Years
WCCO archive: Missing ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Ruby Slippers Found After 13 Years 02:18

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.

RELATED: Finding Minnesota: Judy Garland Museum

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.

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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. 

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