'Shame On You': Activists, Families Voice Frustration Over Compromise On Policing Bill
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With just days to spare, state lawmakers have reached a deal to avoid a partial government shutdown.
The agreement includes some police reforms, among them are regulations for no-knock warrants and modifications to the POST board's police misconduct database, creating an early warning system to keep bad officers off the streets.
Missing from the deal are changes to rules around traffic stops.
Some Democrats had wanted officers to cease stopping drivers for violations that aren't safety issues, such as expired tabs. House Speaker Melissa Hortman says Republicans in the Senate weren't willing to talk about it.
Sen. Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said that he's open to holding a hearing on the issue next year. He told WCCO-TV that he wants to explore the issue deeper, noting that such traffic stops are responsible for removing hundreds of guns from Minnesota streets.
Activists and family members of those hurt or killed by police say the compromise bill fails to pass meaningful change.
They wanted to require police departments to release body-worn camera footage to families within 48 hours of someone dying in police custody. They also wanted criminal justice reform and an oversight committee for police accountability.
"There is a difference between police reform bills and police accountability bills," said Toshira Garraway Allen, of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, in a press conference at the Capitol.
Jaylani Hussein, of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, accused Republicans of protecting police officers and not holding them accountable for their actions. As for the Democrats, "Shame on you for saying you stand with the community," he said.
Many of the proposed policing changes were put forth by the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, which was slated to hold a press conference Monday afternoon addressing the compromise bill. It's unclear how many of those in the caucus will vote for it.
