The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate opened hearings Wednesday on the unrest that rocked the state after the death of George Floyd, focusing on the destruction rather than the underlying issu…
The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate opened hearings Wednesday on the unrest that rocked the state after the death of George Floyd, focusing on the destruction rather than the underlying issues of racism and policing on which Democrats have concentrated.
The hearings will help Republicans frame up issues for the fall election campaign, tapping into outrage felt by many Minnesota residents over the unrest, and with an eye toward their base. The GOP is trying to defend its three-seat Senate majority, while Democrats hope to take over the chamber by capturing Republican-held suburban districts that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz won in 2018.
The topic for the first of five or six joint hearings planned by the Senate transportation and judiciary committees was the destruction of small businesses during the unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Around 1,500 businesses were damaged, including many that were burned or looted before police, backed by the Minnesota National Guard, restored order.
“They’re not about police reform and they are not about defunding or reorganizing a police department,” said GOP Sen.
