SAINT PAUL — Today, the Minnesota Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus announced proposed legislative responses to the murder of George Floyd. The POCI Caucus intends to make police and criminal justice reform a top priority of the likely June special session and into the future.
Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), the House Majority Whip, attended the news conference in the heart of St. Paul’s Rondo Neighborhood where the proposals were unveiled, and shared her commitment to measures promoting change and healing.
“George Floyd should be alive today. As tragic as his killing last week was, it wasn’t a single isolated incident in our state. Systemic racism and implicit bias prevail in many of our communities, and this has to change immediately,” Rep. Olson said. “I’m proud to stand in support of determined legislators from communities of color leading the charge on overdue, significant reforms to ensure Minnesotans can have justice and accountability, and so Black men and boys don’t need to live in fear of interactions with law enforcement.”
Legislation under consideration includes the following:
Reform the investigation and prosecution of officer-involved deaths and wrongful actions
- Move primary investigation and prosecution of officer-involved deaths to the Attorney General’s Office
- Modify use-of-force laws to prevent wrongful deaths
- Create a new crime for unjustified use of force that results in death or great bodily harm
- Strengthen independence of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and design an alternative independent body to their jurisdiction
- Conduct a review of Medical Examiners to ensure independence and timely action
- Change civil liability statute of limitations for families of individuals killed by police
Increase police accountability and transparency
- Collect and centralize for public access, real-time data on deadly-force encounters
- Establish law enforcement-citizen oversight councils to provide needed community involvement in policing
- Establish a Critical Incident Review process for officer-involved deaths to inform policy change and prevention
Raise standards of conduct and support officer excellence
- Change the laws governing agreements that impede discipline of officers seriously betraying the public trust
- Reform the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board to increase oversight of officer licensure and training
- Expand the POST Licensing Board with more public membership and racial diversity
- Create a legal duty for officers to intervene in the wrongful use of force by fellow officers.
- Create a POST Board Community Policing Rulemaking Council
- Expand training in de-escalation, mental health crisis intervention, and responding to people with disabilities
- Prohibit use of “Bullet-Proof Warrior” style use of force training
- Offer peer-to-peer counseling for peace officers and establish privacy-protections for officers in counseling
Partner officers with the communities they serve
- Create powerful incentives for officers to live in the communities they serve by lifting the state ban on local-residence requirements
- Provide new resources to increase diversity in police forces
Repair and build community trust and create community-centered public safety
- Provide state funding for programs for community-based intervenors and problem-solvers that can partner with local peace officers.
- Increase investment in community-based mental health and trauma-informed services
- Direct POST board to develop model policy on use of force in responding to peaceful protests
Legislation that hasn’t already been introduced is still being drafted with bill language expected Friday evening. The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Division will hold a hearing on the proposals next week.