St. Paul, Minnesota — Tonight, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020. The racial justice and police accountability legislation is authored by members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus (POCI).
“It wasn’t just one bad apple that killed George Floyd, or any of the other black men killed by police officers. These murders were only possible because of structural racism and complete lack of accountability for the officers who act in a way which dismisses the value of humanity,” said Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL – Saint Paul), chair of the House Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform Division and author of the legislation. “The legislation put forth by the POCI Caucus will reimagine public safety in a community-centered way to strengthen trust, deliver justice, and respect human rights.”
“The images of George Floyd’s murder – with the lack of humanity, emotion, and care on display that day – will be etched into our memories for a long time. Our state, nation, and world witnessed what African Americans, Indigenous people, and people from communities of color have dealt with for generations,” said Rep. Rena Moran (DFL – Saint Paul), chair of the POCI Caucus. “Bold, systemic change within law enforcement – including real accountability for bad police officers who do bad things – is the only way to ensure every single Minnesotan can go home at the end of the day and be safe in their community”
The legislation includes the following:
Reclaiming Community Oversight
Putting power into the hands of the people and neighborhoods that police officers are sworn to serve and protect.
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Retroactive Repeal of Statutes of Limitations (Vang)
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Warrior Training Prohibited (Richardson)
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Choke Hold Ban (Moran)
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Duty to Intercede (Becker-Finn)
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Police Residency Reform (Hassan)
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Data Collection and Regulatory Reform/etc. (Mariani)
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Arbitration Reform (Her)
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Law Enforcement Oversight Council Reform (Gomez)
Reforming Accountability
Restoring confidence and trust in the systems that are meant to provide justice for all Minnesotans.
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Use of Force Reform (Moran)
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Prosecutorial Reform (Becker-Finn)
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Investigatory Reform (Mariani)
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Cash Bail Reform (Noor)
Re-Imagining Public Safety
Ending the unacceptable culture that is responsible for the murder of George Floyd and far too many others who look like him.
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Public Safety Peer Counseling Debriefing (Noor)
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Police Officer Critical Incident Review (Kunesh-Podein)
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Community Led Public Safety (Gomez)
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Mental Health Training (Richardson)
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Autism Training (Richardson)
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Restore the Vote (Moran)
“We need systemic change and accountability for policing in Minnesota,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “The legislation passed tonight by the Minnesota House was crafted by the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, and shaped by input from community members. Minnesotans have raised their voices in support of racial justice and change, and the Minnesota House is taking transformative action.”
“Minnesotans expect and deserve action on racial justice and police accountability legislation,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “The eyes of the world are on Minnesota, and we have to meet this moment. In the last hours of the special session, we hope Senate Republicans will join us in delivering long-overdue change for the people of Minnesota.”