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(KNSI) – On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz urged lawmakers to act on his proposal to establish a $35 million State Aid for Emergencies Account. In the case of unrest, riots or other emergencies, the account would cover the costs that law enforcement agencies would incur by stepping in to help local police agencies respond to the issue.
The foreseen issue is unrest during or after Derek Chauvin’s trial for George Floyd’s death. Chauvin’s trial begins on March 8th in Hennepin County.
“Unlike the end of May in a spontaneous situation, this is not spontaneous, and we can anticipate,” Walz said. “We will hope for the best, but we will prepare for the worst.”
Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says the funds from the account, if established, would reimburse the costs for law enforcement agencies that respond to an emergent situation outside of their jurisdiction.
“The money would go through from the state, Minneapolis would front the money and then it would go to the local jurisdictions,” Harrington said.
Harrington said he and other Twin Cities law enforcement leaders came to the $35 million estimate based on law enforcements’ expenses during civil unrest in May and June following Floyd’s death.
“For a lot of folks that keep asking, ‘Well, isn’t this just giving money to Minneapolis?’ Minneapolis would be able to ask for the money if they had a mutual aid request from another agency, and then they would be expected to pay the mutual aid request of that suburb, that county, that Greater Minnesota agency 100 percent,” Harrington said.
The commissioner said he is confident there will be enough law enforcement support in the Twin Cities metro during Chauvin’s trial, even if the SAFE Account does not come to fruition before then.
Walz called the opportunity to establish the SAFE Account through the Minnesota Legislature “a golden opportunity” for the executive and legislative branches of government to work together, addressing Republican legislators who have criticized his use of executive powers.
“I’ve heard relentlessly for months that the legislature does not want me to make these moves by myself,” Walz said. “I want to be partners in this.”
A House of Representatives bill addressing the SAFE Account is in the works.
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