Today, a number of Senate DFL senators, including those who are members of the Senate People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) caucus, sent a letter to Governor Walz and Minnesota legislative leaders asking that the Judiciary and Public Safety omnibus bill be prioritized immediately, and that police reform legislation be passed as soon as possible.
In response to that letter, Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury) released the following statement:
“The killing of George Floyd and Daunte Wright highlighted deep-rooted issues in our policing system that our BIPOC communities have known for years. We must address police reform immediately because every Minnesotan – regardless of where they live or what they look like – deserves to feel safe in their communities,” said Senate DFL Leader Susan Kent. “While the state Legislature made some movement last summer with the Police Accountability Act of 2020, that was understood then to be only the beginning. It was the bare minimum of what the Senate Republicans would agree to at the time, and there is still so much work left to be done around public safety reform.”
“We have a window of time, right now, while the world is watching, to be the leaders that our BIPOC communities need us to be. We have three weeks left in the legislative session and must take urgent action now to pass meaningful public safety reforms. I fully support our POCI caucus members, as well as the other senators who signed on to the letter urging immediate action on police reform. I also recognize that addressing police reform is only part of the equation to realizing true justice for our BIPOC communities. We must further commit to addressing the systemic inequities that have existed in Minnesota for generations by enacting a state budget that reflects our shared values and brings us closer towards equity for all.”
Learn more about Sen. Kent.
Read more news from Sen. Kent.
