State Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault) on Thursday voted to repair the damage done by a law approved by Democrats last session that caused many law enforcement agencies to remove or alter school resource officers (SROs) until the legislature fixed the law. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 61-3. It will be sent to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature or veto.

“Once again we have to repair a bill that Democrats passed last year,” Senator Jasinski said. “We never should have been in this position; there were zero issues with SROs. Zero. Not one complaint. Gov. Walz and Democrats decided to change it because of pressure from their activist allies, not because of any evidence that SROs caused problems. I am a strong supporter of law enforcement. I talk to them all the time. While they are ok with the final bill, they would prefer that we simply change the law back to the way it was. That should have been our solution.

With the start of the 2023 school year, school districts across the state found the change in language meant SRO contracts would need significant changes to meet the new law. Many law enforcement agencies removed SROs or repositioned them to be stationed outside school buildings. The short-term impact was almost immediately felt as reports of violence at schools were shared widely. Just last week, an SRO was sent to the hospital after breaking up a fight.

SROs play an important role in keeping students, teachers, and school staff safe. They help mentor students to keep them on the right path, as well as refer them to helpful resources. There have been no reports of SROs harming students before the 2023 change.