After announcing Monday afternoon that the Minnesota Senate had an agreement in-place for police reform, the Senate approved the proposal shortly after midnight on Tuesday before adjourning the year's second special session. Included in the measure is a ban on the use of warrior style training, choke holds, and neck restraints.
The DFL-controlled House passed the bill 102 to 29. DFL Rep. Carlos Mariani of St Paul was the bill's author.
“Today, we’re beginning to make the overdue changes Minnesotans have been demanding to help ensure no more lives are lost due to police violence,” Mariani said in a statement. “By passing this bill into law, we’re taking the first steps toward major changes to hold police officers accountable for harmful acts, and we are committed to continuing our work for safer communities. It wasn’t safe for George Floyd or for Philando Castile, and they deserved a better way to police that builds community.”
Among the key components of the police reform agreements:
- Ban the use of “warrior” style training
- Prohibit choke holds and neck restraints
- POST Board membership changes to create the Ensuring Police Excellence and Improving Community Relations Advisory Council; adds a member from the public to the POST board Complaint Investigation Committee
- Create a POST board database of public, anonymized peace officer data
- Authorizes local municipalities to provide residency incentives for peace officers to live in the communities they serve
- Establishes an independent investigatory unit in the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
In addition, the bill requires mandatory Autism training for officers, along with Mental Health and crisis intervention training.
"There were a number of really good things and in the end, we had huge support in both the House and Senate," Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka told WCCO Radio's Dave Lee on Tuesday morning. "We had all the interested parties, including all the police groups, that signed off that this is the good direction for us to go."
As for a state bonding bill, the bill failed to make it out of the House as Republicans continue to clash with DFL members over Gov. Walz's peacetime emergency order during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The difficult is, frankly, you're in an election year and everybody is focused on the fact that people are challenged to take out legislators," Gazelka said. "That made it extra difficult. We gave it our best shot."
Gov. Walz is expected to bring both the House and Senate back together for another special session in August.
