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Dear Neighbors,
Governor Walz has called legislators back to work for a special session. Last Friday was our first day reconvening. The House has four primary objectives:
- Delivering financial assistance to communities and small businesses dealing with the impact of COVID-19;
- Completing unfinished business from the regular session, including passing a Jobs and Local Projects bill;
- Enacting carefully crafted legislation led by the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus on police accountability and criminal justice reform;
- Rebuilding communities that have suffered property damage.
One of the challenges of a divided state legislature will be finding consensus on these important measures. However, I am optimistic we can work together to deliver the results Minnesotans are asking us to accomplish.
This was evident last Friday when our first order of business included passing a bipartisan robust emergency aid package for our small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. The bill includes $60 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and $2.5 million from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Emergency Loan Program. The focus of these funds will be on providing grants up to $10,000 to Minnesota’s smallest businesses, many of which are not as well-connected with private banks, and that had to operate at 50 percent capacity or less.
Additional Economic Security Measures to Help Minnesotans Recover from COVID-19
Other key items that remain unresolved from the regular session are important to our COVID response and recovery efforts. Specifically, the House is advocating for:
- critical housing assistance for homeowners and renters struggling with payments;
- access to broadband for people who rely on it for distance learning or telemedicine;
- a modest raise for personal care assistants who are still providing care to the most vulnerable population and most susceptible to contracting the virus,
- A robust jobs and local projects or “bonding” bill, which will help create a stronger, more equitable economy.
Re-imagining our Public Safety
George Floyd’s killing was heartbreaking to watch and a tragedy that should have never happened. It’s time for a serious conversation about solutions to ensure every single community can have positive relationships with law enforcement. We must seize this moment and thoughtfully and intentionally enact reforms and transform systems to address injustices and increase accountability for bad actors.
The Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus has carefully crafted legislation that includes the following proposals:
Use of Force Reform of the keystone statute that defines when law enforcement is justified in using deadly force to prioritize sanctity of life. This measure is a recommendation from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group.
Alternatives to Policing Creates new models of ensuring public safety by: 1) Creating a new office within DPS to administer grants to community-based violence-intervenors and problem solvers to intercept violence and reduce interactions with law enforcement, and 2) Providing funding for a co-responder form of policing that pairs officers with social worker when responding to crisis calls and welfare checks. This measure is a recommendation from the MN Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group.
Police Oversight Reform Creates a robust framework of accountability of the law enforcement profession through: 1) Expansion of the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board and creation of a Police-Community Relations Council at the POST Board, 2) Reforming how arbitrations of the termination of law enforcement officers are handled, and 3) Requiring robust, real-time data collection and analysis of complaint, discipline and use of force data and use it to inform reforms at the POST Board, particularly as it relates to licensure decisions. Voting Restoration Ends the disenfranchisement of over 50,000 Minnesotans. Those who are not serving a sentence in a prison facility – who are in their communities and contributing to their families and rebuilding their lives – must be provided their right to vote, regardless of supervision status.
Community Healing Creates a grant program to fund professional community healers trained to respond to systemic oppression-induced historic and present-day trauma through supportive services. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
Independent Prosecution and Investigation Reform Provides the AG with independent jurisdiction for the prosecution of police-involved deaths and create an independent investigation unit within Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for police-involved cases. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
Training Expansion Expands training in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
Warrior Training and Choke Holds Prohibited Prohibits the use of all restraints or holds by law enforcement that purposely restrict a person’s airways or blood flow and ends the use of warrior-style training.
The Governor has publicly shared that each of these policies would look different in different communities across the state. Various committees are holding remote public hearings on these proposals. If you are interested in tuning in, committee schedules can be found on the House website.
Your Input is Needed
The Minnesota Department of Education is beginning the planning process of what school might look like in the fall. Weigh in on your family's experience with distance learning and help shape this process by taking this survey, which is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.
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