Tag: police reform

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 1, 2021

Governor Walz Joins Bipartisan Leaders in Minnesota Legislature to Call for Action on Police Reform

On Thursday, Governor Walz joined bipartisan leaders in the Minnesota Legislature to call for action among Minnesota Senate Republicans on police reform, following the passage of meaningful police reform legislation in the Minnesota House.

“The accountability we saw last week for George Floyd is the floor – not the ceiling – of what we need to do in Minnesota to advance police reform. True justice comes through real, systemic change to prevent this from happening again,” said Governor Walz. “I applaud the effort in the Minnesota House to advance meaningful legislation that would make Minnesota a leader in effective and fair law enforcement policies, practices, and behaviors. I urge the Republicans in the Minnesota Senate to listen to Minnesotans and take action.”

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: May 1, 2021”

New signs of progress emerge on police reform

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Congress is under heightened pressure to reach a long-elusive deal on police reform after Derek Chauvin’s conviction for the murder of George Floyd. 

The conviction, heralded by Democrats and activists as a milestone in the quest for racial justice, immediately shifted attention from the courts to Congress, renewing questions about what bill, if any, could pass the 50-50 Senate, where initial police reform discussions after Floyd’s death unraveled nearly a year ago. 

Democrats believe the verdict has given them new momentum, and behind-the-scenes bipartisan talks have been happening for months, with negotiators hoping to have language in a matter of weeks.  Continue reading.

Sharpton, police reform take center stage at National Mall

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The Rev. Al Sharpton headlined his new March on Washington on Friday, delivering a fiery speech in which he demanded more legislative action to address police brutality and racial inequality in the country.

“Enough is enough,” Sharpton told a large crowd of demonstrators gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, the same spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech 57 years ago to the day.

“We didn’t just come today to have a show. Demonstration without legislation would not lead to change,” he said. “We come to let you know, if we will come out in these numbers in the heat, and stand in the heat, that we will stand in the polls all day long.” Continue reading.

DFL Party Launches Digital Ad Campaign Targeting Senate GOP on Police Reform

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is announcing a digital ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram targeting key Republican Senators standing in the way of passing real police reform. The ads launched on Thursday and will run into next week.

The ad campaign is targeting Senators Dan Hall, Paul Anderson, Warren Limmer, Karin Housley, Jerry Relph, David Senjem, Carla Nelson, and Jason Rarick. Each ad directs a Senator’s constituents to a website encouraging them to call and write their Senator to demand real police reform.

Examples of DFL Party police reform digital ads: Continue reading “DFL Party Launches Digital Ad Campaign Targeting Senate GOP on Police Reform”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 17, 2020

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June 17, 2020

Updates from the Governor

The Governor and Lt. Governor continue to work with the legislature to enact police reform and accountability and build a stronger and more equitable economy. The members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus have put together a strong package of reforms that will support meaningful police reform, including use of force reform, funding for alternatives to policing, and greater police oversight. The Governor and Lt. Governor are also advocating for a strong Local Jobs and Projects bill to create jobs across the state and revitalize infrastructure in communities in every corner of our state.

Also today, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced a partnership with Coursera, the leading online learning platform that offers courses from 200 top universities and businesses around the world, to create accounts for Minnesotans and provide immediate access to online courses. Minnesotans will have access to 3,800 courses that cover job-relevant skills in business, technology, and data science as well as courses related to professional and personal development. Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Public Safety Update: June 17, 2020”

Parties collide over police reform

The Hill logoThe partisan battle over police reform hits a critical juncture on Wednesday, when House Democrats will tee up their sweeping reform package for a floor vote and Senate Republicans unveil a similar but likely less far-reaching alternative.

Both parties are facing heavy pressure to revamp the nation’s law enforcement culture after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in police custody last month. And the competing proposals are each designed to assuage the historic public outcry that’s followed, as marchers have taken to the streets in cities across the country to demand an end to racial profiling and police brutality.

While the goals are the same, however, the partisan approaches are not. And to reach an agreement, the sides have plenty of work to do under the glaring spotlight of public scrutiny and the reluctant gaze of a president who’s been wary to police the police. Continue reading.

Trump signs executive order on police reform

Axios logoPresident Trump signed a modest executive order on Tuesday that encourages limiting the use of chokeholds and moves to create a national database for police misconduct.

Why it matters: Top Trump aides recognize that he is under increased pressure to do something to address the mass outcry spurred by the killing of George Floyd. This order, which many lawmakers will say does not go far enough, is intended to send a message that Trump is willing to work with Congress on more meaningful reform.

  • Trump said he had spoken privately with a group of families — many of whom lost relatives to police violence — about the order earlier in the day. He specifically mentioned the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Antwon Rose II, Jemel Roberson, Atatiana Jefferson, Michael Dean, Darius Tarver, Cameron Lamb and Everett Palmer, Jr.  Floyd’s family was not present.
  • Those families were not present in the White House Rose Garden for the executive order signing.
  • The president also encouraged Congress to pass its own police reform legislation. Continue reading.

Thousands gather Sunday for prayer and protests in Washington

Washington Post logoBlack Lives Matter Plaza was turned into a church Sunday morning, with thousands of mostly African American churchgoers praying, protesting, kneeling and dancing near the White House after marching from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

It was one of the largest faith-based events in the more than two weeks of protests that have consumed the nation’s capital since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May, and it was the first big public event organized by black clergy. Organizers said that was due to extra caution in the African American community, which has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Mask Required! Safe Social Distancing Enforced,” instructed organizers from regional NAACP branches and Alexandria’s historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, which has roots back to the time of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. Marshals monitored safety. Demonstrators were spaced out in rows, and organizers frequently paused the flow of marchers to keep buffers between them. People bunched up in places, but for the most part wore masks, including many with African-style patterns. Continue reading.

Minnesota Democrats and Republicans split on police reforms, governor’s state of emergency

The session comes at a critical moment in state history, but legislators are divided on the best path forward on police reform.

Minnesota legislators clashed sharply on Friday as top Republicans rejected much of a sweeping DFL package of police reforms brought in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25.

The opening hours of a special session put their contrasting agendas on full display, with Senate Republicans pushing instead to end the state of emergency that allowed Gov. Tim Walz to close bars, restaurants and schools to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

As expected, Walz formally extended those emergency powers Friday for another 30 days, triggering the special session that brought lawmakers back to the State Capitol. Continue reading.

Senate GOP shifts on police reform

The Hill logoSenate Republicans are signaling a sharp shift on police reform, raising the chances that federal legislation could actually clear Congress and reach President Trump’s desk.

Just a week ago, it seemed likely that a legislative package would pass the House but run into a dam in the Senate, where Republicans seemed more focused on retaining their majority and bolstering an economy tanked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Yet the dark political clouds hovering over the White House and the Senate’s GOP majority coupled with a dramatic swing in polling showing a majority of Americans believe African Americans are the victims of excessive force by police have changed the political winds. Continue reading.