SAINT PAUL, Minn. — On Monday night, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the Minnesota Police Accountability Act. The legislation, authored by members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, contains strong police accountability reforms and measures to ensure racial justice.
“On Monday, we passed significant police accountability legislation that makes police more accountable to the communities they serve,” said Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL – St. Paul), a member of the POCI Caucus. “While there is more work to be done, this is the first step towards systemic change in policing. We will continue working to build communities that provide public safety for all Minnesotans.”
The Minnesota Police Accountability Act includes arbitration reforms championed by Rep. Her. The bill modifies the arbitrator roster and selection procedure to ensure arbitrators have no incentive to favor either side and are trained in cultural competency, racism, and implicit bias and the daily experiences of police officers.
A research summary of the bill is available here.