ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sunday, May 25, 2025, marks five years since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest—an event that sparked nationwide protests and a global movement for racial justice and police reform.
The House Legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus released the following statement:
“Five years after George Floyd's murder, the POCI Caucus has led transformative criminal justice reforms across Minnesota. From 2021's critical police accountability measures—including no-knock warrant regulations, Community Violence Prevention grants, and landmark legislation like Matthew's and Travis's Laws—to the 2023-2024 'DFL Trifecta' achievements of independent investigations for officer-involved deaths, traffic stop reform, and adding 200 public defenders, we've made significant progress toward justice. While these victories represent meaningful steps forward, our work is far from complete.
“The path forward has not been easy. For a time, we had some partnership from Washington particularly with a federal consent decree, but with Trump's return, we face increased hate and bigoted rhetoric that continue to challenge how we connect with our neighbors.
“The POCI Caucus remains committed to addressing the root causes of inequity across our state while protecting hard-fought reforms since 2021. Five years after George Floyd's murder, we honor his memory through sustained action, recognizing that true transformation requires both policy change and cultural shift—a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about our systems and institutions.”
The House POCI Caucus is comprised of; Rep. Cedrick Frazier (Co-Chair) (DFL-New Hope 43A), Rep. Liish Kozlowski (Co-Chair) (DFL-Duluth 08B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (Vice Chair) (DFL-St. Paul 65B), Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Minneapolis 62A), Rep. Anquam Mahamoud (DFL-Minneapolis 62B), Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL-St. Paul 66B), Rep. Brion Curran (DFL-White Bear Lake 36B), Rep. Esther Agbaje (DFL-Minneapolis 59B), Rep. Ethan Cha (DFL-Woodbury 47B), Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Minneapolis 59A), Rep. Huldah Hiltsley-(DFL- Osseo 38A), Rep. Jay Xiong (DFL-St. Paul 67B), Rep. Kaohly Vang Her (DFL-St. Paul64A), Rep. Liz Lee (DFL-St. Paul 67A), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (DFL-Inver Grove Heights 53A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Minneapolis 60B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (DFL-St. Paul 65A), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (DFL-Minneapolis 63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (DFL-Brooklyn Center 38B).
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