Gov. Tim Walz has called the legislature to reconvene tomorrow, prioritizing police reform as well as the bonding bill.
According to a release, the Governor supports recommendations by the Minnesota People of Color and Indigenous Caucus on police reform and accountability, as well as his bonding proposal.
“Minnesota is at a turning point. This is our chance to take strong action to combat persistent structural inequities, pass substantive police reform, and build a stronger economy,” said Governor Walz. “I look forward to working with the legislature to seize this moment and build a brighter future for Minnesotans.”
The proposals from the POCI Caucus and the Attorney General’s Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters Working Group support use of force reform; funding for alternatives to policing; greater police oversight; voting restoration; community healing; and prosecutorial, investigatory, and training reform.
Bemidji has some stakes in the state bonding package, the House has $12.3 million dedicated to the water treatment plant that will be under construction this summer.
The treatment plant will clean Bemidji’s drinking water of PFAs, which are tied to the use of firefighting foam used above the well fields at the Bemidji Regional Airport. Gov. Walz will also extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days.
