Freshman Minnesota lawmaker draws on personal experience as key police reform negotiator

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DFL Rep. Cedrick Frazier quickly found a voice in Minnesota’s halls of power. 

Cedrick Frazier’s anguish penetrated the grainy Zoom connection during a recent debate on police reform.

After listening to Minnesotans break down as they talked about loved ones killed by police, the freshman DFL House member from New Hope contrasted the urgency he felt with Senate Republicans’ slower approach to considering the latest package of police-accountability proposals.

“The reason we’re back here is more people have died in our streets in law enforcement interactions,” Frazier told colleagues and law enforcement representatives one morning last month. “We’re trying to raise the bar for everybody.” Continue reading.