Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Community Solutions Podcast


Aug 3, 2020

www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know, it sounds like a bad 80's movie, but we've finally got a police reform bill passed in Minnesota! All is well!!!  Now, we'd be foolish to say that there was no need for any reform. We want our citizens safe and we want our police safe. There were two bills put forth: one by the Republicans and one by the Democrats. The two sides went into secret negotiations to come out with a big ol' bill that no one read and almost everyone passed in the middle of the night. The good news is that the special session is over.

So what does it all mean? We believe that the police will become more apprehensive because they will have to put their instinct on the shelf in order to critically evaluate intense situations that can go fatal in moments. They are outlawing chokeholds  (good move) and warrior-style training. They are creating another investigative unit, this time over at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This group is in addition to Internal Affairs, and the case will still have to go to the County Attorney. The Democrats wanted the Attorney General to handle all cases with a murder or alleged sexual assault. They want more de-escalation training, government oversight, and paperwork. They also suggest local programs to give police property tax breaks and fix up loans to live in the same city that they arrest people in. Ummm... that won't end well. The best part? The Republicans and Democrats agree that this is only a first step. Don't close your eyes on this one.

We also discuss the statewide mask mandate... Did you know that local government can write laws that are more strict than the Governor's order? As with all of Caesar Walz's edicts, there is no time frame. All emergencies are perpetual and without limit.

Walzie also finally released his big plan for public schools reopening. The big reveal? "I don't know, figure it out yourself" (paraphrased). Don't confuse this with local control, because there are so many pages of guidelines and regulations, and the schools have less than a month to figure out how to do it all. They have to get their plan together at least a week before they open, giving parents absolutely no time to prepare. Our state government is a dumpster fire, folks.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!