Gov. Tim Walz implores Minnesota lawmakers to pass policing reforms while 'the world is looking'

Gov. Tim Walz implored a divided Minnesota Legislature Thursday to pass a sweeping package of police reforms before wrapping up a special session overshadowed by the police killing of George Floyd, the unarmed black man whose death sparked weeks of protests around the world.

Recalling that Friday is Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, the DFL governor warned that the world will be watching if lawmakers adjourn without passing any legislation addressing police accountability.

"If destiny and history is not raining down on Minnesota today and tomorrow, I don't know what is," Walz said as he faced Friday's planned adjournment deadline set by Senate Republican leaders. "The image of us and the Senate walking away from systemic change on Juneteenth adds to the legacy of what the rest of the world is looking at here. It is unacceptable."

https://www.startribune.com/walz-calls-on-minn-lawmakers-to-pass-policing-reforms-while-world-is-watching/571352982/