Establish and Fund the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relative Permanent Office - 6/1 Info: HF2124/SF1989 - Appropriates $500,000 each year to set up and maintain an office recommended by the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’s Task Force created by the 2019 Legislature. Who to contact: 1) If your legislator is in the Public Safety Working Group (Rep. Mariani (65B), Becker-Finn (42B), Moller (42A), Frazier (45A), Miller (17A); Sen. Limmer (34), Mathews (15), Johnson (1), Ingebretson (8), Latz (46), contact them. Find your legislators contacts here https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts 2) If your legislator is not on the PS Working Group, contact leadership - Speaker of the House, Rep. Melissa Hortman (36B), Senate Majority Leader Senator Gazelka (9), and Governor Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan. Contacts: Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL) Email: [email protected] Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL) Email: [email protected] Rep. Moller (DFL) Email: [email protected] Rep. Frazier (DFL) Email: [email protected] Rep. Tim Miller (R) Tel: 651-296-4228 Email: [email protected] Sen. Warren Limmer (R) Tel: 651-296-2159 Email: [email protected] Sen. Andrew Mathews (R) Tel: 651-296-8075 Email: [email protected] Sen. Mark Johnson (R) 651-296-5782 [email protected] Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R) Tel: 651-297-8063 Email: [email protected] Sen. Ron Latz (DFL) https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1102 Rep. Melissa Hortman Speaker of the House (DFL) Email: [email protected] Sen. Paul Gazelka Senate Majority Leader (GOP) Email: https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1169 Governor Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Tel: 651-201-3400 Email: https://mn.gov/governor/contact/ Sample Script: 1) Working Group member Dear Rep./Sen………, I am very concerned that the bill to establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Relatives office (HF2124/SF1989) has not been included in the Public Safety omnibus. Two years ago, the bill to establish the MMIW taskforce received unanimous bipartisan support. The taskforce was charged with investigating, and finding ways to stop, the disproportionate and horrific violence suffered by MMIW. Last year the taskforce reported its findings and made its recommendations. Top of the list was the recommendation for the establishment of a MMIW/R office to ensure that the MN Legislature and state agencies are implementing the report’s mandates. This is the next step in this critical work. Given MN Legislature’s previous support for the 2019 bill, I do not understand why this bill has still not been included in the Public Safety omnibus. I read that the Senate is saying there is no need for a dedicated MMIW/R office to be set up. However, that is what the taskforce charged with this work is recommending. I urge you to respect the recommendations of the MMIW Taskforce, and include this bill in the Public Safety Omnibus, so that the work to end the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls in MN can begin. All women deserve to be safe. It’s time for the Minnesota Legislature to put its money where its mouth is and create and fund the MMIW Office. I would also urge you to include meaningful police accountability provisions in the Public Safety omnibus. This past year, with the death of Goerge Floyd and more recently of Daunte Wright, it has become even clearer that Minnesota needs to implement common sense policy changes that make policing safer for everyone. Since 2000 there have been over 400 deaths as a result of police violence in MN, and Black people, Indigenous people, people of color and low-income people have been disproportionately impacted by this violence. Please make sure that the following police accountability provisions are in the final omnibus bill: end the use of no-knock warrants; prohibit traffic stops for certain minor violations; civilian oversight of police departments; more robust Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to regulate and train peace officers; investment in both community response teams for mental health crisis calls and community healing for those impacted by deadly encounters with police; access to body worn camera footage in police critical incidents within 48 hours; a study into requiring police to carry professional liability insurance; end police-only responses to mental health crisis calls; ban on police affiliating with white supremacist groups These are all measures that address current policing issues, improve policing outcomes, and will help make public safety safer for everyone, no matter the color of their skin or where they live. Thank you! 2) Leadership Dear……………., I am very concerned that the bill to establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Relatives office (HF2124/SF1989) has not been included in the Public Safety omnibus and am writing to urge you to make sure that it is included. Two years ago, the bill to establish the MMIW taskforce received unanimous bipartisan support. The taskforce was charged with investigating, and finding ways to stop, the disproportionate and horrific violence suffered by MMIW. Last year the taskforce reported its findings and made its recommendations. Top of the list was the recommendation for the establishment of a MMIW/R office to ensure that the MN Legislature and state agencies are implementing the report’s mandates. This is the next step in this critical work. Given MN Legislature’s previous support for the 2019 bill, I do not understand why this bill has still not been included in the Public Safety omnibus. I read that the Senate is saying there is no need for a dedicated MMIW/R office to be set up. However, that is what the taskforce charged with this work is recommending. I urge you to respect the recommendations of the MMIW Taskforce, and include this bill in the Public Safety Omnibus, so that the work to end the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls in MN can begin. All women deserve to be safe. It’s time for the Minnesota Legislature to put its money where its mouth is and create and fund the MMIW Office. I would also urge you to include meaningful police accountability provisions in the Public Safety omnibus. This past year, with the death of Goerge Floyd and more recently of Daunte Wright, it has become even clearer that Minnesota needs to implement common sense policy changes that make policing safer for everyone. Since 2000 there have been over 400 deaths as a result of police violence in MN, and Black people, Indigenous people, people of color and low-income people have been disproportionately impacted by this violence. Please make sure that the following police accountability provisions are in the final omnibus bill: end the use of no-knock warrants; prohibit traffic stops for certain minor violations; civilian oversight of police departments; more robust Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to regulate and train peace officers; investment in both community response teams for mental health crisis calls and community healing for those impacted by deadly encounters with police; access to body worn camera footage in police critical incidents within 48 hours; a study into requiring police to carry professional liability insurance; end police-only responses to mental health crisis calls; ban on police affiliating with white supremacist groups These are all measures that address current policing issues, improve policing outcomes, and will help make public safety safer for everyone, no matter the color of their skin or where they live. Thank you! (When writing to the Governor and Lt. Gov. you can add) Again, I know that this issue is very important to you, and that you have said that meaningful police accountability measures have to be passed this session, and so I implore you not to give up on it. Join Women’s March MN every other Tuesday for Time to Act - an online event where we gather to take action together on specific issues. Check the calendar for dates: https://www.womensmarchmn.com/calendar-of-events.