Minneapolis rejects measure to replace police force, Austin rejects measure to expand police force

Voters in Minneapolis rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have replacing the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety, a push fueled by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer. Opponents of the initiative, including Mayor Jacob Frey (D), argued that there was no concrete plan to create a new public safety department. The part of the city charter that would have been changed requires Minneapolis to have a minimum number of officers based on population.
Voters in Austin, meanwhile, overwhelmingly rejected a proposed amendment Tuesday that would have required the the Austin Police Department to have at least two officers for every 1,000 residents — which, at current levels, would have required hiring 300 to 700 new officers over the next year, at an estimated cost of $54 million to $120 million a year. Proposition A, which failed by a 2-to-1 margin, was put on the ballot by a Republican-aligned group called Save Austin Now.
As Radley Balko notes, there is a little something for everyone in Tuesday's police-related ballot initiatives.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How the Erin Patterson mushroom trial caught the world's attention
In the Spotlight Australian woman who laced beef wellington with deadly mushrooms found guilty of murder
-
The failed bombings of 21/7
The Explainer The unsuccessful attacks 'unnerved' London and led to a tragic mistake
-
Codeword: July 7, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami