Minneapolis council wants to formalize promise to follow dismissed federal consent decree
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Members of the Minneapolis City Council want to make the city’s verbal promise to follow through with the dismissed federal consent decree a legal promise, too.
Supporters of the plan announced Tuesday they want to modify the city’s current court-mediated agreement with the Minnesota Human Rights Department (MDHR) to include reforms from the federal consent decree dismissed by a judge on May 27.
The dismissed agreement would have bound the city and its police department to extensive changes, following a Biden-era Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation that found a pattern of discriminatory and unconstitutional policing.
City Council President Elliot Payne says there are many provisions in the federal agreement that residents still need.
“We are already committed to anything that’s outlined in MDHR. If there are stronger provisions in the DOJ, we want a legal mechanism to hold ourselves accountable to those provisions, not just a verbal commitment,” he said.
Any changes to the agreement will require the approval of the MDHR.
Council members Robin Wonsley and Aurin Chowdhury authored a formal request to the city attorney to begin the process of modifying the agreement. The council will consider that proposal at a meeting later this month.
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