Ellison seeks $1.8 million for criminal prosecutors; GOP says he has enough

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says he needs more funding to help overworked county attorneys with an increasing number of violent crime cases, but the request has fallen flat with legislative Republicans. Ellison, who spoke with three Metro-area county attorneys Thursday at a news conference that was briefly disrupted by protesters, is seeking $1.8 million. That would be enough to hire seven new prosecutors, more than tripling the staff available to counties who ask for help, he said.