Today, the Senate passed a bill off the floor that would hold cities accountable to pay their mutual aid agreements and provide a process for public safety reimbursement without diverting funds away from education and healthcare. 

“Minnesotans have always been there to help out a neighbor, but this bill is in response to law enforcement not getting paid when they sent support to cities experiencing riots,” Senator Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) said. “It will correct this moving forward, by respecting the work and the importance of law enforcement but making sure a city bears the responsibility for reimbursing neighboring departments who offer their support.”

The Senate Republican plan allows cities that provided mutual aid but haven’t been reimbursed for it yet to apply to have their Local Government Aid (LGA) adjusted to match the amount owed. The funds would be provided by lowering the LGA from the city that owes the mutual aid payment.   

A major concern with the governor’s funding is that while crime is rising to record levels in Minneapolis, the city council is actively looking for more ways to reduce police funding. Additionally, the disparaging attitude about police from the council has led to more than 100 officers leaving the force. The perception is Minneapolis will get to rely on statewide funds to provide for their public safety needs while other areas rely on tax revenues for public safety.