ST. PAUL — The Minnesota House battled Monday over an extremely divisive provision in the public safety finance bill that would increase penalties for protesting in certain places.

The Republican-led Legislature shut down the amendment, largely along party lines by a vote of 56-75. The floor session was dominated by debate that lasted several hours over a part of the bill that would increase penalties for protesting on freeways, at airports or disrupting transit.

Republican Rep. Nick Zerwas, of Elk River, said he heard stories from people who missed flights to see dying family members and police officers who were seriously injured during protests.

The bill, he said, would properly punish people for disrupting and hurting others, not stifle free speech.

“If you’re on the freeway, if you’re blocking an airport, if you’re blocking a train, you deserve to go to jail. It’s just that simple,” he said.

Democrats pushed back against that notion, saying that the inconveniences and issues brought up pale to the importance of allowing disenfranchised groups from protesting.

And Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minneapolis, said the concerns about ambulances not being able to get to protests are unfounded, while holding up a picture of protesters parting in order way to make way for an ambulance.

“We need to work on policies not out of anger, or because we are annoyed, but because they further a common good,” she said. “This particular provision is created … because there is a particular annoyance we have with a particular group of people who have decided to organize themselves.”

Republican Rep. Tony Cornish, of Vernon Center, said Democrats were unfairly judging police officers as promoting racism in their push back against the provision. He read a number of statistics on the House floor that he said refuted those claims.

One of the most heated moments of the night came when Democratic Minority Leader Melissa Hortman criticized members of the House for leaving the floor when fellow Democrats were testifying.

She said she was tired of seeing lawmakers leave the floor when member of color, particularly women, are speaking.

Republican lawmakers sharply attacked her for her comments, calling her racist and asked her to apologize.

Gov. Mark Dayton has said he strongly agrees with Minnesota residents first amendment rights. He hasn’t committed to signing any bill, but he hasn’t ruled out signing a bill that would seek to deter protests from affecting public safety.