New Minnesota Laws To Combat Marital Rape, Wage Theft, Opioids

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Several new laws will go into effect July 1 along with the state of Minnesota's new $48 billion budget. Among them — Minnesotans who rape their spouses can be charged with sexual assault, wage theft becomes a crime and drug manufacturers will help shoulder the costs of the opioid epidemic, according to reports.

What is reported to be one of the country's toughest wage theft laws, Minnesota's will target employers who cheat workers by making it a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, KSTP-TV reports. An estimated 39,000 Minnesotans annually are victims of wage theft.

The Legislature also repealed a "marital rape exception" that prevented prosecutors from filing criminal sexual conduct charges against people accused of sexually assaulting their spouses. The new law stems from a case involving Jenny Teeson, of Andover, who went public after prosecutors dropped a felony charge against her now ex-husband, who drugged her and made a video of himself raping her while she was unconscious, KARE-TV reported. He served 30 days in jail for invasion of privacy.

Finally, drug manufacturers and distributors will pay higher registration fees, helping to raise around $21 million annually to help fight the opioid epidemic in Minnesota.