Judge throws out latest Minneapolis policing ballot language

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.startribune.com/judge-throws-out-latest-minneapolis-policing-ballot-language/600097091/

A Hennepin County judge on Tuesday barred elections officials from using the latest ballot language or counting votes this November on a proposal determining the future of Minneapolis policing, likely triggering appeals to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

In a 17-page order, Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson struck down the ballot language for the third time in a month. City officials approved the latest version a week ago.

"The Court finds that the New Ballot Question does not ensure that voters are able to understand the essential purpose of the proposed amendment," Anderson wrote. "It is unreasonable and misleading."

Attorneys for Yes 4 Minneapolis, the group that wrote the proposal, and the city said they were in the process of preparing appeals to the state Supreme Court. Yes 4 Minneapolis attorney Terrance W. Moore said they "respectfully disagree" with the judge's legal interpretation.

What a fucking mess.

[Ocelot II]

1. Good. It's still an incoherent mess.

I'm all in favor of police reform - god knows MPD needs it - but we need to know exactly what we're voting for, and so far the proponents haven't been able to explain clearly what they want to do, how it should be done or who's going to do it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. Minneapolis voters routinely are asked to vote on charter amendments that are described as

confusing, baffling, unclear and so on, but no one pops up to mire them in lawsuits, least of all this Nice Pawlenty judge. And it's pretty clear what the question is trying to do, no? -- Change the city charter so discussions about changing public safety can happen in the real world, not as hypotheticals.

[Ocelot II]

5. The usual charter amendment is much more straightforward and less important

than this one. When they come up with something that clearly explains what they want to do and how they want to do it I'll be happy to vote for it. This version still leaves too much up to "discussions."

[sarisataka]

2. One more time

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. It's insulting, honestly.

[sarisataka]

6. At this point there should be

A non-binding referendum that says "Do Something"

If my daughter hadn't started college in Minneapolis I wouldn't even go there anymore, but we still have relatives living on the "wrong" side of the river so I still care what happens. MPD needed to start reforms 40 years ago.

[iemanja]

7. Non-binding means do nothing.

Those of us who live in Mpls are directly impacted by the police--or in the case of my neighborhood--no police. We get to decide whether to pass the charter amendment. Be clear, the only reason these judges have ruled to keep it off the ballot is to deprive city residents from the right to vote on it. Thanks to the Supreme Court, that right has been restored.

If the police wanted to keep their jobs, they should start doing them. For years we've had them refuse to investigate actual crimes while they constantly harass people of color. Now they refuse to respond to calls. They decided to defraud the tax payers by collecting a paycheck for doing nothing. They've rendered themselves obsolete.