>> ERIC: ON TONIGHT'S SHOW, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT NEW GUN AND PUBLIC SAFETY LAWS, MORE THAN 85 YEARS OF METEOROLOGY EXPERIENCE WILL GRACE THE COUCH, AND REVENUE COMMISSIONER MARQUART HAS DETAILS ON THE FALL TAX REBATES HEADING TO MANY MINNESOTANS.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH MORE BIG NEWS OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS.

ON THURSDAY A HENNEPIN COUNTY JUDGE APPROVED THE PROPOSED CONSENT DECREE BETWEEN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND THE STATE HUMAN RIGHTS DEPARTMENT.

THE END RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION THAT FOUND WIDESPREAD RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.

A CONCLUSION ALSO REACHED BY THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JUST LAST MONTH.

MATT SEPIC IS A REPORTER WITH MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THIS STORY AND WAS IN THE COURTROOM YESTERDAY.

GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> YEAH, GLAD TO BE HERE, CATHY.

>> Cathy: THIS HAS BEEN CALLED A CONSENT DECREE, FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN STEEPED IN THIS, HAT IS THIS?

>> WELL, A CONSENT DECREE, OR A COURT-ENFORCEABLE AGREEMENT, AS THIS STATE AGREEMENT IS KNOWN AS, TECHNICALLY IN LEGAL TERMS, BASICALLY ALLOWS A JUDGE TO ORDER COURT-APPROVED OVERSIGHT OF THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT ANY CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CITY HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW, WILL BE ENFORCED BY A JUDGE, AND IT WILL BE OVERSEEN BY A GROUP OF MONITORS, USUALLY A GROUP OF ATTORNEYS WHO WILL BE HIRED FOR THAT PURPOSE TO CHECK IN WITH MPD AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE.

>> Eric: ANY TEETH IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS?

>> WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, MOST OTHER AGREEMENTS, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OVER THE YEARS WITH VARIOUS GROUPS TO LOOK AT REFORMS, BUT HIS HAS THE FORCE OF LAW.

A JUDGE -- JUDGE KAREN YANISH APPROVED IT YESTERDAY, AND SHE INITIALLY WILL BE THE ONE TO OVERSEE IT AT LEAST ON THE STATE LEVEL SO, IF MPD DOESN'T COMPLY, SHE CAN ORDER THAT.

SO, INDEED, IT DOES HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW.

AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE COMING DOWN THE PIKE AS WELL.

>> Cathy: WILL THOSE TWO -- THOSE TWO -- WILL THOSE TWO WORK IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER SOMEHOW?

>> YES.

THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THE STATE PROCESS STARTED FIRST, AS YOU MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION, ATHY, THIS, OF COURSE, BEGAN WITH THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD IN 2020.

LAST YEAR AFTER A TWO-YEAR INVESTIGATION, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CAME OUT WITH A REALLY SCATHING REPORT THAT FOUND ALLEGATIONS OF RACISM, MISOGYNY, ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH MPD.

AND IN 2021, ONE OF HIS FIRST ACTS AS U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND, ANNOUNCED FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO MPD.

SO THE STATE FOLKS KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE A FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE COMING AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, THEY WILL OPERATE IN PARALLEL, IN CONCERT, AND THE SAME SET OF MONITORS THAT ARE GOING TO OVERSEE THE STATE CONSENT DECREE, THIS IS A GROUP THAT HAS YET TO BE HIRED YET, THEY'RE FINDING FINALISTS FOR THAT NOW, WILL BE THE GROUP THAT WILL OVERSEE THE EXPECTED DOJ FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE.

>> Eric: YOU KNOW HOW IT WORKS IN MINNEAPOLIS CITY HALL.

I WONDER WHAT THE ODDS ARE OF THIS DEVOLVING INTO COMMISSIONS, TASK FORCES, AND TURF BATTLES, AND A LOT OF TALK, ADMIRE THE PROBLEM AND NOTHING HAPPENS.

>> WELL, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN.

I'VE HEARD A LOT OF HOPEFUL SIGNS FROM GROUPS SUCH AS COMMUNITIES UNITED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY, MICHELLE GROSS HAS BEEN A LONGTIME POLICE REFORM ADVOCATE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

AND SHE HAD A FEW RESERVATIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS OF IT BUT WAS LARGELY HOPEFUL THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO SOME REFORM.

WE SPOKE YESTERDAY WITH REVEREND IAN BETHEL WITH THE UNITY COMMUNITY MEDIATION TEAM WHO'S ALSO A LONGTIME POLICE REFORM ADVOCATE, HIS CONCERN WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU MENTIONED ERIC, IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A LACK OF FOLLOW-THROUGH WITH THIS.

BUT THE HOPEFUL SIGN IS, ACCORDING TO THE FOLKS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO WHO HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO THIS FOR MANY YEARS, IS THAT IT DOES HAVE THE COURT OVERSIGHT, NOT ONLY FROM A STATE JUDGE IN HENNEPIN COUNTY BUT ALSO A FEDERAL JUDGE.

>> Cathy: WE SHOULD PROBABLY ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF THE POTENTIAL BIG POLICY CHANGES IN THIS PLAN.

WHAT POPS OUT TO YOU?

>> WELL, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY CAME UP WITH A EW MONTHS AGO, END OF MARCH, I ELIEVE, WAS WHEN THAT BECAME PUBLIC BETWEEN THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND MPD, AND WHAT IT CALLS FOR ARE, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF SO-CALLED LESS LETHAL DEVICES, SUCH AS TASERS, A LOT ON TRAFFIC STOPS, AND COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, REDEFINITION OF THE USE OF FORCE, TRAFFIC STOPS, FOR EXAMPLE, OFFICERS WILL HAVE TO SAY INTO THEIR BODY CAMERA WHAT THE REASON FOR THIS TRAFFIC STOP IS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF.

THAT IT GETS INTO RETTY GRANULAR DETAIL IF YOU LOOK AT THE MDHR AGREEMENT THAT CAME OUT BACK IN MARCH.

AND HE BIG NEWS ON THURSDAY WAS THAT THE JUDGE SIGNED OFF ON IT, ATTORNEYS FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE STATE WENT TO THE COURT AND SAID, WE'RE READY TO GO WITH THIS.

AND ONCE KAREN YANISH SIGNED THAT AGREEMENT, THE CLOCK'S TICKING, IT WILL BE ABOUT A FOUR-YEAR PROCESS WITH REGULAR CHECK-INS AND AT THE END OF THAT, I MEAN, THEY COULD CONTINUE WITH IT.

BUT, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THAT FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE ALONG WITH THE STATE AGREEMENT.

>> Eric: COST OF THIS FOR THE CITY?

>> NO ESTIMATE ON IT YET, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, CLEVELAND AND NEW ORLEANS THAT HAVE THESE IN PLACE, HEY WILL SPEND MILLIONS ON THEM EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE'S MORE STAFF THAT NEEDS TO BE HIRED FOR COMPLIANCE WORK, NEW TECHNOLOGY, COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THIS DATA THAT THEY WILL LIKELY HAVE TO ENTER IN TO SHOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES THAT ARE REQUIRED.

>> Cathy: AND THEY ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW, RIGHT?

THEY STARTED TODAY, I BELIEVE?

>> THAT'S -- THE NEXT STEPS WITH THIS ARE ACTUALLY FINDING THE MONITORS.

SO THEY HAVE ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN FINALISTS THAT THEY'RE CHOOSING AMONG TO BE THE MONITOR.

USUALLY WOULD LIKELY E A LAW FIRM, A GROUP OF ATTORNEYS.

AND THEN FROM THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO FORMALLY GET THE POLICY CHANGES APPROVED BY THE MONITORS AND THEN THEY CAN START TRAINING.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF STEPS.

IT'S GOING TAKE MANY YEARS.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

>> E