A Stalemate In Minnesota
22nd June 2020
In Minnesota, Democrats control the House side of the legislature, but Republicans control the Senate. Thus, if police “reform” is to be enacted, the two parties must agree.
They don’t. Republicans are in favor of reform legislation. They back eleven steps including banning choke holds and requiring officers to stop colleagues from using excessive force. Those two measures alone, if followed, would have saved the life of George Floyd.
But Governor Walz calls the Republican proposal “weak sauce.” He and his fellow Democrats demand a more radical bill.
Among the provisions Democrats insist upon are restoring voting rights to tens of thousands of felons (which has nothing to do with police reform) and placing the state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, in charge of prosecuting police killings. They also demand a ban on “warrior training” which, as I understand it, teaches police officers how to fight off attacks.
Democrats want felons to be able to vote because felons are more likely to vote Democrat than Republican, as the most cursory thought will reveal to be true. It’s just another case of ‘Let No Crisis Go To Waste’ political maneuvering.