The Minneapolis City Attorney's Office has determined there is no legal pathway to incorporate federal consent decree provisions into the existing settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, City Attorney Kristin Anderson told the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

Anderson explained that the MDHR settlement agreement is a court-enforceable document under ongoing court jurisdiction, meaning any modifications require court approval based on legal necessity to resolve the original dispute. She said adding federal consent decree terms would expand the agreement by about one-third with provisions that were not part of the original MDHR case.

The discussion arose after the Trump administration's Justice Department withdrew from the federal consent decree that would have mandated police reforms. Council Member Robin Wonsley had directed the city attorney to explore incorporating those federal provisions into the state settlement, but Anderson concluded such action would violate professional ethics rules for attorneys.

Council President Elliott Payne said he would schedule a meeting with the mayor and a small group of council members by July 31 to brainstorm alternative options for police reform. The committee also approved setting a public hearing for July 22 on amendments to the Community Commission on Police Oversight ordinance and approved a sound permit for the Eat Street Crossing event.