ANOKA, Minn. — A number of school districts, police departments and, now, Minnesota lawmakers are speaking out about the new laws passed earlier in the year that some say have left school districts dropping the practice of hiring student resource officers, or SROs, and some police departments making similar decisions to not hire out their officers.
On Wednesday, the Republican Party of Minnesota leader called for a special session to address the issue. This came after a number of districts -- including Minnesota's largest district -- said SROs would be pulling out of their schools less than a week before classes start.
The language in question is a small snippet, part of a 200-plus-page education bill passed into law this past session. The portion of the law itself limits district employees -- including SROs -- from placing students into certain holds.
What follows is the exact wording of the law in question:
121A.58 by WCCO - CBS Minnesota on Scribd
Police leaders from throughout the state have joined with some Republican leaders in asking for clarity in the law.
On Wednesday, Minnesota's Republican Party chair David Hann called for a special legislative session to address school safety concerns:
"School resource officers play a critical role in ensuring school safety. But sadly, our schools are less safe today due to the Minnesota DFL's extreme, single-party control, and their zealous anti-police agenda has put students, teachers, and staff in danger.
"Governor Tim Walz...
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