Yes 4 Minneapolis files lawsuit over public safety amendment explainer

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Friday, the Yes 4 Minneapolis coalition announced a lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis and the city clerk's office.

The group says the city exceeded its power by attempting to mislead voters. The lawsuit centers on a proposed amendment that would create a Department of Public Safety in the city.

Last week, the city council added an explanatory note to the ballot question. Yes 4 Minneapolis says the note is subjective and could sway voters.

"Let me be very clear, we will not let a handful of unaccountable people water down this community ballot initiative for political purposes," said Aurin Chowdhury with Yes 4 Minneapolis.

The explanatory note outlines how the head of public safety would report to the mayor and city council.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed back against the lawsuit saying:

"Minneapolis voters deserve to know what they’re voting on.

We should all be committed to transparency when it comes to the future of public safety in Minneapolis. And the explanatory language that subject matter experts developed is essential to giving people an accurate representation of what this change would actually do and how public safety operations will be impacted now and for years to come. While vetoing this amendment was not legally possible, the ramifications – including the head of public safety reporting to the mayor and 13 council members – should be transparently shared with the voters."