Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., appeared to defend on Monday the Minneapolis City Council’s proposal to transfer $8 million in police funding to other services.
“Don’t fall for the fear-driven narratives,” the Minnesota congresswoman tweeted. “We can craft a justice system that prioritizes people’s basic needs like mental health + violence prevention, & allow the city to put public safety first.”
She gave a shout out to city council members Lisa Bender, Phillipe Cunningham, and Steve Fletcher, who authored the policy. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the proposal would transfer about 5% of the police budget to a mental health crisis team and violence prevention, among other things.
After George Floyd’s death in May, Omar was one of the leading proponents of the “defund the police” movement, which has encountered pushback from law enforcement.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reportedly described the city council’s proposal as “irresponsible and untenable.”
“This notion that in order to have a more comprehensive public safety strategy you ha… (Read more)
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