nornesShould 13-year-olds be prosecuted as adults in first-degree murder cases? That was the provocative issue raised at the Minnesota House of Representative Friday afternoon.

Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) offered an amendment to the public safety finance bill currently being debated in the House that would allow for such prosecutions. Currently, state law limits adult prosecutions to defendants 14 and older.

In arguing for the change, Nornes cited the case of Emily Johnson. The two-year-old Fergus Falls resident died three years ago after the 13-year-old son of her day-care provider threw her against a wall. Johnson’s parents have lobbied for the change, as noted in this recent Fox 9 report.

“To those that argue that a 13-year-old doesn’t have any common sense and doesn’t know the different between right and wrong, I think they’re wrong,” Nornes said.

But Rep. Michael Paymar (D-St. Paul), who chairs the Public Safety Finance Division, objected to the amendment, arguing that it wasn’t germane to the finance legislation. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Keliher (D-Minneapolis) backed this argument.

Nornes (pictured) and other supporters of the legislation then sought to overrule the Speaker’s decision.

“I ask you to look deep into your soul and say this was a wrong decision and support Emily and her family,” Nornes implored his colleagues.

But the House voted to back Kelliher’s ruling by an 83-48 margin, largely along party lines, thus killing the amendment.