Dear Neighbors,
This morning the Minnesota Board of Pardons issued its first-ever posthumous pardon in the case of Max Mason, a young black man who was scapegoated for the rumored rape of a white woman in Duluth in 1920. I’m proud to say that Bloomington attorney Jerry Blackwell, who secured this pardon, is one of our friends and neighbors here in House District 49B. Monday marks the 100th anniversary of the lynching of three other young black men who were accused in this case, Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie. They were dragged from the Duluth jail and hung by a white mob. I’d encourage folks to read the accounts of this case that were published in the Minneapolis StarTribune yesterday and today. This is a strong reminder to all of us that lynching was never just a southern thing – we have a long history of depriving black citizens of life and liberty without due process of law here in Minnesota, as well, and the murder of George Floyd is just the latest, and hopefully the last, example.
In the days to come, we’ll have an opportunity to address this painful legacy when we take up the policing reform bills being developed by the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, and I pray that we make the most of that opportunity. The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform and Policy committee will be holding hearings on these bills on Saturday morning at 10 am. You can follow this link to listen in on the hearings. The bills, as drafted include these provisions:
- Use of Force
- Reform of the keystone statute that defines when law enforcement is justified in using deadly force to prioritize sanctity of life. This measure is a recommendation from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group.
- Alternatives to Policing
- Creates new models of ensuring public safety by: 1) Creating a new office within DPS to administer grants to community-based violence-intervenors and problem solvers to intercept violence and reduce interactions with law enforcement, and 2) Providing funding for a co-responder form of policing that pairs officers with social worker when responding to crisis calls and welfare checks. This measure is a recommendation from the MN Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group.
- Police Oversight Reform
- Creates a robust framework of accountability of the law enforcement profession through: 1) Expansion of the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board and creation of a Police-Community Relations Council at the POST Board, 2) Reforming how arbitrations of the termination of law enforcement officers are handled, and 3) Requiring robust, real-time data collection and analysis of complaint, discipline and use of force data and use it to inform reforms at the POST Board, particularly as it relates to licensure decisions.
- Voting Restoration
- Ends the disenfranchisement of over 50,000 Minnesotans. Those who are not serving a sentence in a prison facility – who are in their communities and contributing to their families and rebuilding their lives – must be provided their right to vote, regardless of supervision status.
- Community Healing
- Creates a grant program to fund professional community healers trained to respond to systemic oppression-induced historic and present-day trauma through supportive services. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Independent Prosecution and Investigation Reform
- Provides the AG with independent jurisdiction for the prosecution of police-involved deaths and creates an independent investigation unit within the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for police-involved cases. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Training Expansion
- Expands training in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Warrior Training and Choke Holds Prohibited
- Prohibits the use of all restraints or holds by law enforcement that purposely restrict a person’s airways or blood flow and ends the use of warrior-style training.
Keep in Touch
Now more than ever, please contact me anytime with questions, input, or ideas. Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can provide any assistance. This situation is evolving constantly and I will be sure to update you with any changes. Please follow me on my Facebook page for further updates and invite your friends and family to do so as well.
Thanks for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Steve Elkins
Representative, District 49B
Minnesota House of Representatives
515 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-7803