Here is our call to action (coming out of last week’s Third Thursdays’ event) in support of including meaningful, transformative police accountability bills in the Public Safety Omnibus - to do this weekend. (Special session starts on Monday). In descending order of priority, contact the following people below. Do what you have time for, with the top two being the most important at this time. They hold the most power to determine what the DFL decides to prioritize in negotiations. Meanwhile, GOP leadership are not giving up any ground on this unless the DFL insists.

1. Contact DFL House Leadership 

Rep. Melissa Hortman (36B), Speaker of the House (DFL) Tel: 651-296-4280

Email: rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn

2. Contact Governor Walz

Governor Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Tel:  651-201-3400 

Email: https://mn.gov/governor/contact/

3. Contact Senate Leadership 

Sen. Paul Gazelka (9), Senate Majority Leader (GOP) 

Email: https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1169

4. Contact your own legislators (Rep. and Sen.), particularly if they are on the Public Safety Conference Committee. 

a) Find your legislators and contacts here - https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

b) This is who is on the Public Safety Conference Committee:

Rep. Carlos Mariani (65B-DFL) Tel: 651-296-9714 Email: rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn

Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (42B - DFL) Tel: 651-296-7153 Email: rep.jamie.becker-finn@house.mn

Rep. Moller (42A-DFL) Tel: 651-296-0141 Email: rep.kelly.moller@house.mn

Rep. Frazier (45A-DFL) Tel: 651-296-4255 Email:  rep.cedrick.frazier@house.mn

Rep. Tim Miller (17A-R)  Tel: 651-296-4228  Email: rep.tim.miller@house.mn

Sen. Warren Limmer (34-R)  Tel: 651-296-2159  Email: sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn

Sen. Andrew Mathews (15-R) Tel: 651-296-8075  Email: sen.andrew.mathews@senate.mn 

Sen. Mark Johnson (01-R) 651-296-5782 sen.mark.johnson@senate.mn

Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (08-R)  Tel: 651-297-8063 Email: sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn

Sen. Ron Latz (46-DFL) Tel: 651-297-8065 Email: https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1102

And say what? 

We aren’t going to provide a script. These calls or emails are better when short, sweet, and in your own words. Emails seem to be more effective at this point, but, as Rep. Mariani said, that depends on the legislator. 

However...

In general, we are supporting the entire House version of the Public Safety Omnibus (aka Omnibus judiciary and public safety policy and finance bill). This means we want the final version of the Public Safety omnibus bill to include all the bills that were in the House version of it -- for the reasons that moved you to care about this issue in the first place. 

Encourage Leader Hortman and Gov. Walz in particular to stay true and not compromise. We must transform public safety in MN. We need criminal justice reforms and police reforms that are grounded in the demands of our communities and that will move us towards greater fairness, justice, and -- crucially -- create systems of public safety that liberate rather than marginalize Minnesotans. And much of the rest of the country is watching our moral lead. 

Encourage your legislators to make sure meaningful police accountability provisions are included in the Public Safety omnibus. Let them know why this matters to you and the people you care about.

From there, the suggestion is to get specific on the pieces of legislation that you want to remain in the final bill. 

There are a few ways to work that out. 

1. Revisit the recording of the event here

2. Follow Rep. Mariani’s recommendations of arguing for these specific provisions in your letter ... 

• Ending pretextual traffic stops for certain minor violations and establish the sign and release warrants for missed court dates instead of arrest

• Require release of body worn camera footage in police critical incidents within 48 hours

• Ending the use of no-knock warrants

• Eliminate the statute of limitations for lawsuits for Wrongful Deaths Caused by Police

• Community Innovations budget line of $10million to start creating community alternatives to policing

Good article that explains some of the above  - https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/15952

3. Or you might refer to the list of bills that CUAPB (Communities United Against Police Brutality),  CAIR-MN, Racial Justice Network and other groups have been advocating for, which are now included in some form in the House version  - here: https://www.cuapb.org/

4. You might explore the house version of the bill itself,  here: House version summary. (Compare with Senate version summary) Both are confusingly called SF907, even though they are very different!!

Whatever you choose to include, reminder to make it personal where you can. Email tends to be preferred over a call by more legislators, but that’s hard to predict, or if you have the legislator’s cell phone, text them. 

And thank YOU for taking action on this. 

Please share this action with your friends, neighbors, etc.  

Big thank you to Indivisible Saint Paul and Indivisible Minnesota Legislative Action for organizing the event.