MN Legislature's Compromise On Police Reform Leaves Out Key Proposals
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The Minnesota State Legislature has come to a compromise on some police reforms, but the agreement leaves out some key proposals that the People of Color Caucus were calling for.
Since the murder of George Floyd last year there has been a major push at the Minnesota State Capitol for police reforms.
Last year the legislature passed a package of reforms that included a ban on chokeholds. But the call for change accelerated again this year after the April shooting death of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center.
House and Senate negotiators have been working for weeks trying to get to some agreement - and finally one
has been announced.
It includes regulations on no-knock warrants, grants for funding for violence prevention programs, and improvements to the Minnesota POST Board database to try and keep bad officers off the streets.
What it does not contain is any measures on traffic stops. Proposals included restricting officers from making stops for expired license tabs and minor infractions like having an air freshener hanging from a rearview mirror.
Also not in the agreement: a measure that would replace taking individuals with outstanding warrants directly to jail, and instead of writing them a ticket.
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka were both guests on WCCO Sunday Morning.
"We in the House wanted to fundamentally change some things that are fundamental to policing. We wanted to make things easier and more safe for both law enforcement and community but the Senate was unwilling to have those reform conversations at all," said Hortman.
"I think we will do a hearing related to that next year, when we found out that more than 900 guns were taken off the streets and confiscated in traffic stops like that, lets at least explore it deeper," said Gazelka.
Both sides also came to an agreement on a public safety funding bill, meaning all the outstanding budget bills have been agreed to. It will prevent the state government from shutting down on July 1 before the long holiday weekend.
You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning with Esme Murphy and Mike Augustyniak every Sunday at 6 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.