Minnesota Governor Signs Police Reform Bill Banning Neck Restraints

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a police reform bill into law Thursday that bans neck restraints and makes other changes to police departments. 

The bill bans chokeholds and "warrior training", which critics say promotes excessive force. It also expands deescalation training for officers and creates a new advisory council for the state board that licenses officers, among other things. 

The governor signed the bill nearly two months after George Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis police custody. Floyd became unresponsive after a White police officer put a knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and racism. 

"Every single Minnesotan deserves to feel safe and protected in their communities," Walz said. "This bipartisan piece of legislation moves us towards a critical step towards criminal justice reform."

The president of Communities United Against Police Brutality told The Associated Press the legislation is not as comprehensive as the group had hoped and that it will keep demanding change. 

For Newsy, I'm Stephanie Sandoval.

Additional reporting by Mohamed Ibrahim from the Associated Press.