On Monday, the Minnesota Senate passed emergency funding for law enforcement, as requested by Governor Walz. The bill, S.F. 2441, secures $2.75 million for the law enforcement response to civil unrest through the Interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact and $6.3 million for Minnesota State Trooper expenses related to the unrest and Chauvin trial. 

One of state government’s key responsibilities is to ensure the preservation of public safety and to protect Minnesotans from any violence and unrest that riots produce. The emergency funds secured today are a nod to the hard work of our law enforcement over this past year and ensure that those people have the resources to continue to support our communities.

Earlier this session, the Senate passed legislation funding for the Law Enforcement Operations Account (LEO), committing to keep Minnesotans safe by securing resources for emergency law enforcement operations tied to extraordinary and unplanned emergency events. 

House Democrats failed to pass the bill or Governor Walz’s version of the legislation, known as SAFE. Additionally, House Democrats have not introduced any of their own provisions regarding emergency police funding, jeopardizing the safety of residents of the Twin Cities and hindering law enforcement’s ability to respond to emergency events.   

Today’s legislation is the byproduct of a public safety conversation between legislative leaders and the Governor from this weekend. Legislative leaders all agreed with the importance of getting the bill done at the time of the request.

The bill now goes to the House for consideration.