State lawmakers, St Paul Police Chief Axtell call for removal of slavery reference in state constitution

DFL lawmakers and St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell today announced their plan to remove a reference to slavery from the state constitution. In a New Years’ Eve Facebook post, Axtell shared a desire to have the language eliminated. He says the constitution is the guiding document “for how we enforce the law and how we serve our communities, so it’s important that the constitution reflects our shared Minnesota values. This isn’t a St. Paul, this isn’t a Minneapolis thing, this it’s a metro thing, this is a state thing.” The measure’s co-author is Representative Rena Moran of St. Paul. She says “as the great, great-granddaughter of slaves, this issue is personal to me, it’s a matter of human dignity, it’s unacceptable for our state to sanction slavery or involuntary servitude under any context.”  The portion that would be amended currently reads “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the state otherwise than as punishment for a crime of which the party has been convicted. DFL Representative John Lesch of St. Paul says words–and the small details are important and adds…”when you’re in a position of privilege it’s easy for you to think we’ve moved past our history, moved beyond our history, but if you’re really paying attention to what’s going on in society, what’s going on in our state, you know we haven’t.” Lesch says he’s heard a favorable response on the measure from some Republican Senate leaders. If the measure passes in the House and Senate, the question would be submitted to voters in the 2020 November general election.