Minneapolis City Council votes down $15 minimum wage and MPD liability insurance

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Two very controversial plans went before the Minneapolis City Council on Friday. One would let voters decide whether to raise the minimum wage to $15 and the other would require police officers to get liability insurance.

It brought out activists in support of both plans and they weren't happy with the outcome.

Outside the Minneapolis City Council chambers, Committee For Professional Policing is pushed for police officers to carry liability insurance vowed to take the city to court. Members said they’re confident they'll win.

“We will be in the courts today filing a lawsuit forcing the city to place this measure on the ballot,” said Michelle Gross, a member.

They had crowded Friday morning's council meeting as the council voted 9-3 against placing their issue on the November ballot.

CFCC heard the three members who sided with them applaud their efforts and disagree with the city attorney.

“I am not confidant that the charter amendment is illegal,” said Alondra Cano, a city council member. “This is what we as city council members can do today to help create a culture of police accountability and that's why I will be voting against our legal opinion to not forward this as a ballot question.”

The idea is if all officers carry professional liability insurance, misconduct would raise premiums and push bad cops out.

CFCC collected 15,000 signatures to get it on the ballot to amend city charter.

The legal opinion from the city attorney is it would conflict with state law, therefore, pointless to put something legally invalid on a ballot.

CFCC believes the city attorney is wrong and that they'll prove it in court, forcing the council to put it to voters.

“We need to change the culture, we need to change the incentives,” said Gross. “We need to make it so that good policing is incentivized and bad policing is run out of the city.”

Their legal argument is once they have the required signatures, the council is required to place it before voters. They hope to get a hearing as soon as possible.

A measure to put a $15 minimum wage before voters was also shot down at the city council meeting for the same reason as the insurance issue.

The city attorney had also ruled that wages are not appropriate to be put in city charter, but should be an ordinance. The group behind the $15 minimum wage will also go to court and plan to file suit on Monday.