Dilworth State Rep. Paul Marquart votes against MN Police Accountability Act

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – State Rep. Paul Marquart of Dilworth is the only House Democrat to vote against a police reform bill.

Marquart calls the death of George Floyd inhuman and atrocius. He agrees the officers in that case should be prosecuted.

However, he feels the Minnesota Police Accountability Act is too broad. It requires the Attorney General’s office to be in charge of all police killings cases.

Marquart does not support rural Minnesota cases being reviewed from a Twin Cities perspective. He also doesn’t want officers to have to think twice if there’s a situation that their lives are in danger. He says he consulted with Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting and Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander in the weeks before his vote.

“There is no doubt that there is racism and injustice in all segment of our society and we have to root that out, but the approaches in this police reform act just would have been too much of a one size fits all,” Marquart said.

Marquart disagrees with Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka’s plan to end the special session Friday. He says there’s too much work to be done like the Senate passing the bill he authored, and the House passed, to give $841 million in coronavirus relief for cities, counties and townships.