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Republican lawmaker storms out of hearing over allowing police to buy armored vehicles • Minnesota Reformer [1]
['Deena Winter', 'More From Author', '- March']
Date: 2024-03
A Republican lawmaker stormed out of a Tuesday committee hearing after an angry debate over whether police departments should be able to use some of the one-time state funds they got last year to buy armored vehicles.
The outburst occurred during debate on a bill (HF4370) proposed by Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, that would require cities, counties and tribal nations to report how they use $300 million in public safety aid allocated last year.
Rep. Jeff Witte, R-Lakeville, a retired police officer, proposed that the bill be amended to allow departments to buy armored vehicles, citing a recent Burnsville incident where two cops and a paramedic were shot and killed.
They were screaming for more armor in dispatch audio obtained by KARE 11. An armored vehicle was on the scene, but the officers asked for a firetruck or something that could provide more cover.
When Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers expressed opposition to Witte’s amendment, Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, launched a diatribe against his colleagues.
“People are getting shot at,” Hudson said. “The people who we entrust to protect us, to stand between us and bad actors are getting shot at — crying over the radio asking for help. And the answer of this body is ‘No. And by the way, be grateful that we allowed you to have money for other things.’ That’s what I’m hearing today. I know I was supposed to talk about the amendment to the bill, but religious liberty is under attack, vaccinations are being forced, and now this.”
Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview, chair of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, interjected, asking Hudson to focus on the amendment, but Hudson continued: “All the while with this attitude. This dismissal. This condescension. I’m sick of it.”
And with that, he swept his microphone aside and abruptly left the room and didn’t return for the remaining vote or hearings on other bills.
Gomez said the 2023 legislation had a lot of flexibility in how the money can be used, with a few narrow exceptions. And she noted Republicans voted against the bill last year.
“We’re coming in this moment to politicize something that just doesn’t need to be politicized,” she said. “And we’re coming with a classic solution in search of a problem. Nobody’s having any trouble spending this money. Nobody’s banging down our doors saying, ‘Oh, we need to spend this on a tank.’”
Rep. Cedrick Frazier, DFL-New Hope, worked on the 2023 bill, and said he didn’t understand requests for armored vehicles. Cities could use other state aid to buy equipment, he said.
“I’m not saying that with any condescension,” he said. “Those are just the facts.”
Gomez raised concerns about the militarization of police, noting millions of dollars worth of surplus military equipment has flowed into the state since the 1990s.
State Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, who was wearing a camouflage vest, became incensed and said Gomez’s comment was out of line and a “load of garbage.” He also briefly left the committee room after expressing disgust.
Rep. Dave Pinto, DFL-St. Paul, a Ramsey County prosecutor, said the fact that Democrats gave cities and counties a historic amount of extra public safety funds last year without any Republican support shows the difference between the parties.
Witte, who offered the armor vehicle amendment, said the debate’s not political to him.
“This is personal. I lost three heroes from my family,” he said, referring to the fallen Burnsville officers.
He said public officials shouldn’t just be there for law enforcement during vigils and funerals.
Witte’s amendment failed, and the bill was forwarded on a voice vote.
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