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Urdahl




Dear Neighbor,

Republican legislators recently invited school staff, law enforcement and others to the Capitol for a meeting as we look to fix a law that has left dozens of?Minnesota schools without?school?resource officers.?

The issue centers on a change in state law Democrats enacted last spring which limits how SROs are allowed to de-escalate aggressive or violent situations, taking away tools they can use to keep students and teachers safe. ?

Concern and confusion ensued with the start of the new school year, causing dozens of law enforcement agencies to pull SROs from?schools across Minnesota. Some schools, including in Litchfield, have restored SRO service after state Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a supportive interpretation of the new law. Since then,?contradictory opinions [ [link removed] ]?of the statute have been issued, including from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.?

This lack of clarity and consensus underscores the importance of a legislative fix, which is why Republicans conducted public hearings to seek solutions.?

While SROs are re-engaging in some schools, we still need clarity to alleviate concerns and make sure our state law is tight. The attorney general issued a statement indicating there is no problem with the new law, but there?s too much at stake to let that be the last word here. It would be helpful for everyone involved to formally address this issue and eliminate any questions or doubt.

Testimony provided during the meeting painted a problematic picture of how the new law is compromising safety in schools. An official from the Riverbend Education District in South Central Minnesota said, ?My staff is, on a daily basis, having their classrooms completely destroyed by students. We have police officers in town going, ?Not our area, we don?t get involved.'? A retired teacher indicated, ?I can?t imagine being a teacher when things get a little riled up. And there?s not an SRO to calm that situation down.??

Until next time, have a good weekend and please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Dean






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State Rep. Dean Urdahl
279 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
[email protected]
(651) 296-4344







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