SAINT PAUL, Minnesota — Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020. The racial justice and police accountability legislation – authored by members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus – is aimed at reimagining and reforming public safety in the state.
“These meaningful reforms are urgently needed. George Floyd should still be with us, and his murder by police officers is evidence of a system that for too long has let down people of color,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester). “In the Minnesota House, we’ve worked to amplify black, brown, and indigenous voices, and the transformative reforms contained in this legislation have come from the communities impacted the worst by police violence. These solutions will reduce inequities and help break down systemic barriers to accountability within our criminal justice system.”
The series of criminal justice and police accountability reforms were introduced following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police Officer this Memorial Day.
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.
- Retroactive Repeal of Statutes of Limitations (Vang)
- Warrior Training Prohibited (Richardson)
- Choke Hold Ban (Moran)
- Duty to Intercede (Becker-Finn)
- Police Residency Reform (Hassan)
- Data Collection and Regulatory Reform/etc. (Mariani)
- Arbitration Reform (Her)
- Law Enforcement Oversight Council Reform (Gomez)
The Reforming Accountability Act
Restoring confidence and trust in the systems that are meant to provide justice for all Minnesotans.
- Use of Force Reform (Moran)
- Prosecutorial Reform (Becker-Finn)
- Investigatory Reform (Mariani)
- Cash Bail Reform (Noor)
The Re-Imagining Public Safety Act
Ending the unacceptable culture that is responsible for the murder of George Floyd and far too many others who look like him.
- Public Safety Peer Counseling Debriefing (Noor)
- Police Officer Critical Incident Review (Kunesh-Podein)
- Community Led Public Safety (Gomez)
- Mental Health Training (Richardson)
- Autism Training (Richardson)
- Restore the Vote (Moran)