>> BECAUSE OF NEW LEGISLATION DEALING WITH RESTRICTIONS ON PRONE RESTRAINTS USED BY OFFICERS.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER TALKED WITH A KEY COMMITTEE CHAIR ABOUT THE REASONING BEHIND THE LAW AND WHAT'S IS A HID.

AHEAD.

>> IT'S A GREAT JOB.

I GET O WORK WITH THE KIDS EVERY DAY.

>> Mary: HENNEPIN COUNTY ONCE HIGHLY TOUTEDDED ITS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

NOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE ARE PULLING THEIR S.R.O.s AS THEY'RE KNOWN, THANKS TO THE INTERPRETATION OF A NEW LAW.

>> THE WAY THAT THE LAW WAS WRITTEN ON THIS IS PROHIBITING THINGS LIKE CHOKEHOLDS, NECK HOLDS ON STUDENTS, SOMETHING I'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF.

I'VE WORKED IN IN SCHOOLS MY ENTIRE CAREER -- >> Mary: GOVERNOR WALZ WAS A TEACHER.

SO TOO WAS THE EDUCATION POLICY CHAIR.

LET'S START WITH THE OBVIOUS FACT.

YOU'RE A TEACHER SO I'M GUESSING YOU WORKED WITH STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICERS, CORRECT?

>> YEAH, FOR 33 YEARS.

>> Mary: AND WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?

>> AMAZING.

THEY'RE AMAZING.

THEY DO THEIR JOB.

THEY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH KIDS.

AND NOT ALL KIDS.

LIKE THEM.

>> Mary: SO WHY THE CHANGES THEN IN THEIR ROLE IN THE SCHOOLS?

>> WELL, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THERE.

TEN YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO, WE PASSED LEGISLATION THAT PRONE RESTRAINT, AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THIS CAME OUT OF THE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER.

>> Mary: REPUBLICANS WHO RAN ON PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS SEIZED THE ISSUE AND STOOD WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, CALLING FOR A SPECIAL SESSION O CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE ABOUT STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICERS.

>> WE NEED OUR GOVERNOR TO GO AHEAD AND CALL A SPECIAL SESSION, TO GO AHEAD AND FIX THIS ISSUE.

WE CANNOT HAVE OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, WAITING FOR SIX MORE MONTHS TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY KNOW IS AN ISSUE.

>> Mary: ALL THIS RESPONSE THEN FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, IN SCHOOLS, FROM REPUBLICANS CALLING FOR A SPECIAL SESSION, DOES THIS SURPRISE YOU THEN?

>> IT DOES, BECAUSE DURING THE SESSION, WE MET WITH REPUBLICANS IN MY OFFICE.

THEY BROUGHT UP THEIR CONCERNS.

I LISTENED TO THEM.

I THINK MOST -- >> Mary: DID YOU TALK TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THOUGH?

BECAUSE SENATOR DUCKWORTH KEEPS POINTING OUT IN COMMITTEE HE TOLD YOU TO TALK TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

>> NEVER CAME UP.

>> MY CONCERN IS ONE.

LIMITATIONS PLACED UPON PERSONNEL AT SCHOOLS HERE HAS TO DO WITH SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

>> Mary: SENATOR DUCKWORTH ISSUED A WARNING IN COMMITTEE BACK IN FEBRUARY AND SAYS DEMOCRATS FAILED TO GET THE NECESSARY INPUT.

>> WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS THIS AND FIX THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN AFY BIPARTISAN FASHION.

>> Mary: THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR HAS A ONE-PAGE BILL FOR THE FIX, AND SAYS AT LEAST ONE DEMOCRAT WILL SIGN OFF.

>> MARY, JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST HEARING I HAVE.

OR NOT THE FIRST.

I CAN'T PROMISE THAT.

I MET WITH THE HEAD OF THE CHIEF POLICE ASSOCIATION.

POTTS AND I'VE MET WITH THE LOBBYIST FROM THE LEAGUE OF CITIES.

AND I MET WITH THEM ALL.

AND THEY ALL HAVE MY WORD THAT IF WE CAN'T GET THIS RIGHT NOW, I HAVE FAITH THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WALZ ADMINISTRATION WILL PROBABLY WORK THIS OUT.

>> Mary: THE BLAINE POLICE CHIEF SAYS ALMOST EVERY JURISDICTION IN HIS AREA ARE EXITING THE SCHOOLS.

>> HOW CAN WE EXPECT OUR STAFF TO GO TO THE SCHOOL AND WORK THERE EVERY DAY WHEN THEY'RE CONS TONIGHTLY WORRIED ABOUT BEING SUED INSTEAD OF JUST FOCUSING ON THEIR JOB AND DEVELOPING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND MAINTAINING THAT SAFETY IN THE SCHOOL?

>> THE COMMUNITY THAT I SERVE VERY, VERY MUCH SUPPORTS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR S.R.O.s AND THEY WANT AND EXPECT OUR .R.O.

RZ TO BE IN SCHOOLS THIS FALL.

>> >> Mary: USED TO BE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.

>> MOM AND DADS COUNT ON US TO SAFEGUARD THEIR CHILDREN.

THIS LAW MAKES OUR KIDS, TEACHERS, IN SCHOOLS, LESS SAFE.

AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE THE SCHOOL STARTS.

>> Mary: IS THAT A PROBLEM THAT THERE ARE NOT GOING TO BE OFFICERS, IT APPEARS, IN THE HALLWAYS?

>> IF YOU READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL, IT SAYS THAT SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND POLICE OFFICERS, AND SOMEBODY, AND MAYBE IT'S ME OR YOU ON "ALMANAC" NEEDS TO TELL THEM, A, IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THEY CAN USE WHATEVER TOOLS THEY HAVE IN THEIR TOOL BOX THAT THEY COULD USE BEFORE.

>> Mary: IS THERE POLITICS AND BROADER THINGS AT PLAY HERE?

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> Mary: IN A TATE WHERE A POLICE OFFICER WAS CONVICTED OF MURDERING A MAN BY KNEELING ON HIS NECK, THE ISSUE HAS BROADER CONTEXT.

>> IT IS NOT BEING INTERPRETTH CORRECTIONLY.

WE SHOULD NOT KNEEL OOT NECKS OF