Minneapolis, MN
OPINION EXCHANGE | Ballot initiatives can make for a stronger democracy in Minneapolis
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The dream of American democracy is a government where we all have a voice in our communities, and we all work together to build the kind of world we want to see. Unfortunately, it rarely feels that way for many of our residents here in Minneapolis. Too often, residents ask elected officials to pass laws and implement programs to address social problems and improve the city, only to see city leaders cave to corporate lobbyists and business interests.
Ever since I joined Minneapolis City Council, I have seen constituents fill the council chambers to voice their concerns or support for a wide range of issues — often issues they’ve worked on for years with little help from their elected officials, and sometimes with the city as the main obstacle. Their frustration, at times, is gut-wrenching. I feel that frustration too, as my ability to help them as a council member is often hampered by the city bureaucracy and a lack of political will by some of my colleagues or the mayor that I alone cannot overcome.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Eighty cities across Minnesota give residents the right to bring their ideas to the ballot via ballot initiatives — encompassing more than 1.75 million of our fellow Minnesotans. In fact, only 25% of home rule charter cities deny ballot initiatives to their residents, and Minneapolis is one of them.
If you’ve voted in a recent city election, there is a good chance you’ve seen a citywide question on your ballot. But right now, the only type of questions that can make it to the ballot are charter amendments. This restriction in our charter prevents residents from bringing a whole host of important questions to the ballot.
The council is currently considering introducing a charter amendment that would lift the restriction on ballot initiatives and referendums. If passed, it would give the people of Minneapolis the power to bring forward ballot initiatives and put their solutions directly on the ballot, so their neighbors can vote on important policies impacting their lives. It would also allow them to use the same process to have a referendum on a policy passed by City Council. If, for example, the council passed a policy people didn’t like, Minneapolis residents could collect signatures to bring the policy to the ballot for a vote.
Our neighbors across the river in St. Paul trust their residents with this tool. A few years ago, when communities in St. Paul were frustrated with a trash pickup policy passed by the City Council, people collected signatures to bring a referendum to the ballot, which opened up dialogue and brought this crucial issue to a vote in which residents could have the final say.
Years ago, in Minneapolis, neighborhood restaurants were prohibited from selling cocktails. There was little support for this law, but people were stuck with it. Luckily, since the law was in the city charter, it was placed on the ballot and it was struck down. But there’s no reason the ability for residents to have a say in our communities should be limited to matters in the city charter.
People in neighborhoods across the city often feel powerless in their ability to affect meaningful change. Allowing ballot initiatives would give residents a powerful tool to bring their concerns forward. Instead of struggling to have their voices heard by a select few city officials, residents would be encouraged to talk to one another. Encouraging those conversations, even when there’s difference of opinion, fosters democracy and strengthens the bonds of community.
I ran for office to be a voice for working-class people in City Hall. But I don’t just want to give voice to their concerns. I want to lift up their solutions. From the $15 minimum wage and the East Phillips Urban Farm to sidewalk plowing and bus lanes, many of our city’s most popular ideas came directly from our residents. We can join the 80 other cities across the state and finally allow ballot initiatives and referendums in Minneapolis, putting power in the hands of the people, lifting up even more of their solutions.
By legalizing ballot initiatives and referendums, we can empower Minneapolis residents to advocate for their communities at the ballot box. We can empower working-class people to debate their political priorities and proposed solutions, then have the chance to make those proposals reality. That’s what democracy should look like — and it’s what democracy can look like, right here in Minneapolis.
Robin Wonsley represents the Ward 2 on the Minneapolis City Council. A public hearing on the proposal discussed in this article is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday during the meeting of the council’s Administration & Enterprise Oversight Committee in Room 350 of the Public Service Center, 250 S. Fourth St. A related commentary on the subject — “Initiative and referendum in Minneapolis? Interesting proposal. Five concerns.” — was published Friday.
Minneapolis, MN
Man fatally shot in Minneapolis, 17-year-old arrested
The scene of the shooting on Thomas Avenue North. (FOX 9)
A man was fatally shot after an argument early Tuesday morning in Minneapolis.
Fatal shooting on Thomas Avenue North
What we know:
According to Minneapolis police, around 2:30 a.m., officers responded to the 1600 block of Thomas Avenue North on reports of a shooting inside a home.
At the scene, officers found a man with several gunshot wounds. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died, police said.
Authorities say that an argument led to gunfire, and the suspect fled the scene before police arrived.
A 17-year-old was arrested in connection to the shooting, and police say they are investigating “connections” between the teen arrested and other violent crimes in Minneapolis this year.
What they’re saying:
“Another family has forever been impacted by senseless violence,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “Settling disputes with a firearm is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice in this case. Every available tool in the juvenile justice system must be used to protect young people who pose a danger to themselves as well as the community.”
What we don’t know:
Police did not specify the gender of the 17-year-old. And the other crimes the teen could be connected to were not specified.
The man who was fatally shot has not been identified.
The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department.
Minneapolis, MN
41-year-old convicted in triple homicide at Minneapolis encampment
A 41-year-old was found guilty in the murders of Christopher Martell Washington, Louis Mitchell Lemons, Jr., and Samantha Jo Moss at a homeless encampment in Minneapolis, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
According to a criminal complaint, Earl Bennett rode an e-bike to a tent in the encampment in October 2024, asked to see one of the victims inside and began shooting shortly after being allowed inside. Surveillance video showed him leaving the tent and riding away on his e-bike.
Washington and Lemons were declared dead at the scene, and Moss died at the hospital a week later.
Woman dies nearly a week after triple shooting at Minneapolis encampment; suspect charged
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16 in this case, the attorney’s office said.
Other cases
Bennett is also a defendant in two other cases.
He was shot by law enforcement after pointing a gun at officers in St. Paul days after the murders.
Officers later learned Bennett had shot and critically injured a man earlier in the evening at a sober living home on the 3500 block of Columbus Avenue South.
The gun Bennett pointed at officers in St. Paul matched the casings found at both the encampment and sober living home shootings.
SPPD releases bodycam of officers shooting and injuring man charged in encampment triple homicide | Man seriously injured in Minneapolis shooting, suspect not in custody
These cases both remain open.
Minneapolis, MN
Jury finds man guilty of murder in Minneapolis homeless encampment shooting
A jury found a man guilty in the murders of three people at a Minneapolis homeless encampment, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Earl Bennett was found guilty on three counts of second-degree intentional murder for the Oct. 27, 2024, shooting at a small encampment next to railroad tracks near Snelling Avenue and East 44th Street.
The victims were identified as 38-year-old Christopher Martell Washington of Fridley, 32-year-old Louis Mitchell Lemons Jr. of Brooklyn Center, and 35-year-old Samantha Jo Moss of St. Louis Park.
Charges say investigators obtained surveillance video from the area that allegedly captured the suspect, later identified as Bennett, arriving on an electric bike and entering a tent at the encampment. About 15 minutes later, video captured the sound of several gunshots before Bennett exited the tent and left on his bike.
The manager of a sober house in south Minneapolis, where Bennett is accused of severely injuring another man, identified Bennett as the suspect in the surveillance video from the encampment shooting.
Later that same night, officers in St. Paul responded to a shots fired call near Snelling and Charles avenues. Upon arrival, they found a man, later identified as Bennett, with a gun.
As officers approached, Bennett pointed the gun to his head, police said. Officers began talking with him, trying to get him to surrender, but he then started walking south down Snelling. Once he reached the Snelling and University area, he began walking around in the intersection, according to police.
Police said officers fired “less lethal” rounds at Bennett to try and get him to surrender, but he still would not.
Bennett then pointed his gun at police, according to the department and witnesses, and that’s when officers shot him.
The four officers who shot Bennett were all cleared of criminal charges, with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office concluding the use of deadly force was legally justified under state law.
Bennett also faces charges of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to the armed encounter with officers in Ramsey County.
In Hennepin County, Bennett was also convicted of illegally possessing a firearm.
Bennett’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text “HelpLine” to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
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