Minnesota News Network

Will Democrats and Republicans be able to agree on a package of police reforms as they try again in this second legislative session of 2020? House Speaker, Democrat Melissa Hortman says, “More rules and more training are not going to change lives. What we need are consequences for failure to live up to the standards.”

Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka won’t say how close the two sides are in negotiations — but he does say Republicans will not agree to de-funding or dismantling the police, increasing the attorney general’s power or allowing felons to vote. Gazelka says Republicans *have* offered changes to police arbitration procedures. On the issue of banning choke holds and officers’ duty to intervene, he says there’s movement but both sides are still discussing those issues.

The issue of whether Minnesota students can return to the classroom this fall is taking center stage at the Minnesota Capitol, where the Republican-controlled Senate voted Monday to end Governor Tim Walz’s emergency authority. Roseville Democrat John Marty asked, “Where does that leave the superintendents? Where does it leave the teachers? Somebody has got to decide and we’re saying, oh, let’s take away the governor’s authority to do that because we know better, and we might someday make those decisions.” Rochester Republican Carla Nelson responded, “Schools can resume classes in the manner that they see fit, except for the governor’s executive orders.”

Although the Senate voted to rescind Walz’s emergency authority, the measure won’t clear the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House.
Nelson says the governor not making the decision — classroom, distance learning or a combination — until July 27th is “a recipe for disaster.”

A core group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers is at the State Capitol this weekend, trying to reach a deal on police reforms and a bonding bill before this year’s second special session begins Monday. Democrats want much more wide-ranging police reform measures than Republicans, and one of the lead negotiators said Friday night he was uncertain whether the two sides can get agreement before the special session begins. And House Republican leaders have said they won’t help pass a bonding bill for state public works projects unless Governor Tim Walz relinquishes his COVID emergency authority. Senate Democratic leaders meanwhile say *they* won’t help pass a bonding bill unless Republicans agree to significant police reform.

The Trump administration has denied Governor Tim Walz’s request to declare sections of the Twin Cities a federal disaster area due to extensive riots following the death of George Floyd, saying “supplemental federal assistance… is not warranted or appropriate.” After the governor made the request July 2nd, Sixth District Republican Congressman Tom Emmer asked FEMA to review actions taken by state and local officials to prevent the destruction. Emmer says, “There needs to be a full accounting. I think we need to understand why certain decisions were made or delayed… why this thing was allowed to burn for not just one night, not just two nights, but three nights — and it just kept going.”

Walz administration officials weren’t immediately available to comment. They have 30 days to appeal the decision.

As expected Governor Tim Walz is calling lawmakers back to Saint Paul on Monday for a second special session, prompted by his extension of his COVID-19 emergency powers for another 30 days. *That* will be an issue in the special session, but Democratic and Republican lawmakers are also wrangling with police reforms, after Twin Cities riots sparked by the death of George Floyd. And the governor is also asking lawmakers to pass a bonding bill for state public works projects. *That* is tied up in the political fight over police reforms and the governor’s emergency powers.