Judge tosses Minneapolis ballot language to ‘replace’ police department

A Minnesota state judge has tossed ballot language to “replace” the Minneapolis Police Department.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson struck down language asking if the City Charter should be amended to “strike and replace” the police department with a Department of Public Safety that would have “licensed peace officers.”

Anderson wrote that the language is “vague, ambiguous and incapable of implementation, and is insufficient to identify the amendment clearly.”

The city has been hit with two different lawsuits over the past month over how the measure will appear on the ballot. The ruling was the second time that Anderson tossed the language for the measure, according to The Star Tribune.

The City Council voted in June to allow voters to decide whether to replace the city’s police department with a Department of Public Safety.

The proposal gained attention in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, who died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Chauvin was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison earlier this year.

The language at issue in Tuesday’s ruling was “shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to strike and replace the Police Department with a Department of Public Safety which could include licensed peace officers (police officers) if necessary, with administrative authority to be consistent with other city departments to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety?”

The measure would take effect 30 days from the election or at “such other time” determined by the amendment.

Anderson said the language was “vague to the point of being misleading,” adding that it lacks “essential information that would accurately inform the voters.”

She also pointed out that it was unclear whether the police department would cease to exist on Dec. 2, whether the position of the police chief would be eliminated, or if a funding mechanism exists for the new department.

“All of these ambiguities risk creating a ‘chaotic situation’ in Minneapolis,” Anderson wrote.

The Minneapolis City Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon amid the ruling.