Bill aimed at improving safety at U of M campuses passes first Senate committee

A bill proposing $100 million in supplemental funding at University of Minnesota campuses was discussed by a Senate committee Tuesday at the state capitol.

The bill’s language states the money would be used to hire more police, and also improve campus safety organizations.

This comes after the university’s president proposed $935 million for campus improvements in December, which also included a request to improve safety with nighttime services and lighting.

“It’s so important to make sure that our students are safe, and this really brings the whole University of Minnesota campus up to today’s technology,” Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, the bill’s author, said during Tuesday’s committee hearing.

The bill passed the Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee and now heads to the Senate Finance Committee for review.