The Minneapolis city council agrees again to ballot language for the public safety amendment hours after a Hennepin county judge struck down a prior attempt.
It's related to the petition to create a new Public Safety Department in the city that could include police. In the ruling Judge Jamie Anderson called the question "unreasonable and misleading." It previously read:
"Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to strike and replace the Police Department with a Department of Public Safety which could include licensed peace officers (police officers) if necessary, with administrative authority to be consistent with other city departments to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety?"
The latest language and explainer is longer and explicitly states that the minimum staffing requirement as well as the police department and its chief would be removed.
"Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to remove the Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach to the delivery of functions by the Department of Public Safety, with those specific functions to be determined by the Mayor and City Council by ordinance; which will not be subject to exclusive mayoral power over its establishment, maintenance, and command; and which could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary, to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety, with the general nature of the amendments being briefly indicated in the explanatory note below, which is made a part of this ballot?"
Voters will select "yes" or "no." This explanatory note will be included:
"This amendment would create a Department of Public Safety combining public safety functions through a comprehensive public health approach to be determined by the Mayor and Council. The department would be led by a Commissioner nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the Council. The Police Department, and its chief, would be removed from the City Charter. The Public Safety Department could include police officers, but the minimum finding requirement would be eliminated."
Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that on prior attempts, council members "ignored the advice of subject matter experts and attempted to hide the ball from voters."
Tuesday he said he supports the new language which is "nearly identical" to what the city attorney's office proposed...
"This is not about what this charter amendment could do or might do," he said, adding that he does not support it. "It's about what this charter amendment actually does under the law. We can't hide the ball, we have to honest and transparent with voters."
The mayor's approval clears the way for the amendment question to be on the November ballot.