St. Paul, MN – On Monday, the Minnesota Senate passed emergency funding for law enforcement, as requested by Governor Walz. The bill, Senate File 2441, authored by Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake), 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. 

“All Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their communities and should be confident in times of unrest their law enforcement will be there to protect them,” Gazelka said. “During these extraordinary times, we are committed to supporting local police, our state troopers, and the Minnesota National Guard as they work hard to keep our streets safe and prevent any further unrest.” 

Earlier this session, the Senate passed legislation funding for a Law Enforcement Operations (LEO) Account, 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 LEO or Governor Walz’s version of the legislation, known as SAFE: State Aid for Emergencies. 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 over the weekend. Legislative leaders all agreed with the importance of getting the bill done at the time of the request.

“This is truly an emergency,” Gazelka continued. “After the House failed to approve LEO funding, we need to come together to prevent chaos and ensure our law enforcement has the resources to respond and protect lives.” 

S. F. 2441 passed the Senate with tripartisan support on a vote of 48-19. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.