Minnesota lawmakers passed a flurry of police reform measures in a bill that would make some of the most substantial changes to the state’s criminal justice system in years.
The bill passed both the state House and Senate early Tuesday, sending it to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz roughly two months after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody, an incident that led to a national reckoning on police use of force and racial inequality.
The legislation would introduce a statewide ban on chokeholds and neck restraints and halt “warrior style” training for officers. The legislation would also further enhance data collection around encounters that involve deadly force and would create a new state unit to investigate those events, according to the Star Tribune.
“George Floyd’s death brought the urgent need for meaningful police reform into sharp focus,” the Democratic governor wrote. “Last night, the #mnleg passed bipartisan police accountability and reform measures. This is a critical step toward justice. But this is only the beginning. The work does not end today.”
George Floyd’s death brought the urgent need for meaningful police reform into sharp focus.
Last night, the #mnleg passed bipartisan police accountability and reform measures. This is a critical step toward justice.
But this is only the beginning. The work does not end today.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) July 21, 2020
The legislation also calls for officers to receive counseling and stress management as well as providing police training that emphasizes crisis resolution. The new training will focus on how officers interact with people with autism, people facing mental illness crises, and how they can better recognize cultural differences, according to a report by NPR.
Floyd’s death has led to sweeping changes across the nation, prompting state legislatures, city governments, and federal lawmakers to consider how to reform law enforcement in a way that reduces the number of incidents resulting in deaths. The debate has largely centered on how to improve the relationship between police and minorities as well as how to make policing more racially equitable.
