School Resource Officer Bill Hits Snag, Republicans Disappointed by Layover

(KNSI) — A bill that would reverse a portion of a law passed last session restricting certain holds school resource officers can use was laid over Tuesday.

It appeared to be on its way to a resolution on Monday, which was the first day of the session. However, House Republicans say they’ve been left out of discussions, and Democrats need their votes to pass it.

The DFL rejected the Republican compromise proposal on a party-line vote on Monday in the House Education Policy Committee and again on Tuesday in the House Public Safety Committee. It did not pass to the House Ways and Means Committee, which is its last stop before the House floor.

Rep. Paul Novotny, (R-Elk River), Republican Lead on the House Public Safety Committee, and Rep. Jeff Witte, (R-Lakeville), a former SRO and member of the House Public Safety Committee, all said they appreciated the good faith efforts by the Democrats to try to reach a compromise, they were disappointed in another delay.

They issued a statement saying, “It’s clear that Republican votes will be needed to pass the bill, and it’s time for Democrats to open bipartisan talks to find a bill that can pass the House and Senate. Republicans have worked closely with law enforcement, cities, school districts, and other stakeholders and believe we have a solution that can pass with strong bipartisan support. That amendment has been offered twice and rejected. We stand ready to work on getting this done so we can restore safety to our schools by getting SROs back to their posts.”

Officers were pulled from more than 40 school districts in Minnesota, including District 742, just before the start of the year after the Legislature changed the wording on what kind of force SROs would be allowed to use on students. Some felt the wording opened up officers to lawsuits if they physically intervened unless a student or staff member was facing imminent death.

Some, including 742, reinstated their programs in November following several opinions of the Attorney General, the most recent guidance from the League of Minnesota Cities, the work by the Minnesota Chief’s Association, along with guidance from local county attorneys and city lawyers have provided enough clarification and legal support to make the transition possible.

___