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  2020-08-13

  Demand Real Change from Minnesota Senate

  Five weeks after Gov. Waltz called a special session to pass police reform, protestors gathered outside the Minnesota Senate demanding swifter and more comprehensive legislation from elected officials. On July 24, a couple days after this protest, Gov. Waltz signed a bill that would prohibit the use of chokeholds and warrior style training. Both of these items were already banned in Minneapolis, respectively in June 2020 and April 2019. The state legislation established a duty to intercede on officers who see a colleague using excessive force and requires excessive force incident reports. The bill fell far short of the transformational change demanded after the murder of George Floyd and represented 'low-hanging fruit' for reform policies. President Michelle Gross of the Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) shared, “It doesn’t do anything substantial to end violent policing. The legislators, frankly, are frightened of the law enforcement lobby.” The bill ignored CUAPB's recommendations such as lengthening the statute of limitations for wrongful death and civil rights violation lawsuits, community participation in collective bargaining agreements with police unions, and requiring police release body camera footage to families of victims within 48 hours. Photos from Demand Real Change from Minnesota Senate!, July 17, 2020