Republican legislators recently invited school staff, law enforcement and others to the Capitol for a meeting as they seek to fix a law that has left dozens of Minnesota schools without school resource officers. 

I said the issue centers on a change in state law Democrats enacted last spring which limits how SROs are allowed to de-escalate aggressive or violent situations, taking away tools they can use to keep students and teachers safe.  

Concern and confusion ensued with the start of the new school year, causing dozens of law enforcement agencies to pull SROs from schools across Minnesota. Some schools have resumed SRO service after state Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a supportive interpretation of the new law. Since then, contradictory opinions of the statute have been issued, including from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. 

I said this lack of clarity and consensus underscores the importance of a legislative fix, which is why Republicans conducted public hearings to seek solutions. 

We need to clear up the confusion, eliminate any doubt and tighten up the law so its not subject to varying interpretations. While some districts are continuing to be served by SROs, it’s not that they are without concerns. There even is the potential for bad behavior to be emboldened because this law limits how SROs – or other personnel in schools – are able to diffuse a situation on the spot. This issue is too important to ignore or continue delaying and that’s why legislative Republicans are leading these discussions and working for solutions.

I said testimony provided during the meeting painted a problematic picture of how the new law is compromising safety in schools. An official from the Riverbend Education District in South Central Minnesota said, “My staff is, on a daily basis, having their classrooms completely destroyed by students. We have police officers in town going, ‘Not our area, we don’t get involved.’” A retired teacher indicated, “I can’t imagine being a teacher when things get a little riled up. And there’s not an SRO to calm that situation down.”