PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934 July 23 - 29, 2026
Vol. 92
No. 51
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
Skydio ‘first responder’ drone contract fails in Minneapolis City Council after weeks of resident opposition By Izzy Canizares Contributing Writer
from responding to illegal dumping complaints to finding missing people. Residents see espite poor air this as an example of the proquality from wild- gram having no clear purpose. fires, residents gathered outside “Nothing is free. Minneapolis City Hall on Wednesday, July 15, protestThis costs ing a potential contract with the trust drone company Skydio. They of our residents. packed the council chamber This costs us the following morning ahead of the contract's vote, which people's sense ultimately failed. of freedom.” The contract would have been a 75-day free trial with A protest was organized at the U.S.-based drone company, which has come under the Federal Building Plaza in scrutiny for supplying sur- Minneapolis on Wednesday, veillance drones to the Israeli the day before the contract military since 2023 and for was voted on. Members from its recent federal contracts local organizations came out with ICE. If passed, the drones despite a citywide heat adviwould have been used in sory and poor air quality warnWard 4 as "first responder" ings. "I think the thing that we tools, dispatched as soon as a 911 call is made to provide learn from watching them exsurveillance from the scene. plode their own argument and The company has advertised make no sense in front of the the drones for uses ranging city council is that they don't
actually know what they want to use these drones for," said Sarah Heller, a Ward 4 constituent. "North Minneapolis is not made safer when we are made a testing ground for Minneapolis cops with military toys." The demonstration came after more than 40 residents attended a public comment hearing on the contract at the previous week's Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee meeting. Council members present voted to move the contract forward with no recommendation. The idea of technology as a safety tool can sound promising but can be easily misused, said Maamoun Slayhi of the Free Palestine Coalition. "I can see why they think it is a good idea, because, yes, it will reduce time for response. But it all comes at a cost," Slayhi said. "They see the thing that could be used for good, but the problem is ■ See SKYDIO on page 5
Photo courtesy of Izzy Canizares/MSR
Ramsey County sues federal State cannabis board government over stone- brings record relief directly walled Thao investigation to the community By Clint Combs Contributing Writer
The board hosted an expungement relief clinic at the Urban League in North Minhree years after neapolis on July 15, in partMinnesota Demo- nership with Roots Wellness crats used their Center. Executive Director newly won trifecta Jim Rowader said the agency to legalize recreational mari- spent its first year and a half juana, the state agency tasked largely out of public view, with clearing old felony can- building the systems needed nabis convictions says it's to handle a massive volume of ready to bring its work directly records. "We've done a lot of work to the communities most afover the last year and a half fected by it. The Cannabis Expunge- to get it built up and to build ment Board was created by a lot of behind-the-scenes the 2023 Adult-Use Cannabis functionality," Rowader said. Act, part of a broader pack- "Data management is a big ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a U.S. citizen that was escorted out of his St. Paul home by federal age of criminal justice reforms deal in terms of 10s of 1000s agents, Jan 18. Louansee Moua that Democratic-Farmer- of records that we're trying to Labor lawmakers pushed review, and we didn't want to Thao, a 56-year-old U.S. citi- a July 15 press conference an- through after flipping the leg- get out into the community By Jasmine McBride zen with no criminal history. nouncing the suit. "All that we islature that year. Alongside and talk about the work when Editor Masked and armed individuals wish is to simply do a proper legalization, the DFL trifecta we weren't prepared to really amsey County believed to be federal agents investigation under Minne- delivered automatic "Clean have some immediate impact." Attorney John broke into Thao's St. Paul sota law to seek the truth, de- Slate" expungement for lowThat foundation is now in Choi and Ramsey home that afternoon, hand- termine if any state laws were er-level cannabis misdemean- place, he said, and the agency County Sheriff cuffed him without a war- violated and uphold the rule ors, changes to the state's par- wants Minnesotans to underBob Fletcher filed a federal rant and drove him around of law without fear or favor." don law and the board itself, stand what it offers, and that The lawsuit marks an esca- which reviews felony-level it isn't something they need lawsuit July 15 against the U.S. for about an hour before reDepartment of Homeland Se- turning him, according to the lation in a monthslong effort cases that don't qualify for au- a lawyer to access. "We're curity, accusing the agency of complaint. Thao was wearing by county officials to obtain tomatic clearing. tasked with identifying the illegally withholding evidence only shorts, Crocs and a baby basic information about the needed to investigate the de- blanket in 10-degree weather incident. According to the complaint, the sheriff's office tention of a St. Paul man dur- at the time. "As plaintiffs, we seek de- first requested information ing Operation Metro Surge. from ICE Field Office Director Sam Olson on Feb. 24. An "As plaintiffs, we seek declaratory investigator met in person with ICE Section Chief Howand injunctive relief to set aside ard Weisman on March 5, but Defendants' unlawful noncooperation Weisman said he was not auand their refusal to comply.” thorized to share the information and would not say who was. On March 20, the county The civil action, filed in the claratory and injunctive relief U.S. District Court for the to set aside Defendants' un- attorney's office submitted a District of Minnesota, seeks lawful noncooperation and formal Touhy demand, the leto force DHS to hand over their refusal to comply with gal mechanism for compelling records related to the Jan. 18 lawful and legitimate investi- federal agencies to produce detention of ChongLy "Scott" gative demands," Choi said at ■ See LAWSUIT on page 5
cases, working them up and getting them in front of the actual board so that relief can be granted," Rowader said. The event let attendees fill out intake applications on site, with CEB staff and partner attorneys pulling up individual criminal records on the spot to flag cases for review. Heather Faulkner, the board's chief communications and external engagement officer, said Minnesota's approach to felony cannabis convictions is unique. "As far as we're aware, we are the only state in the country approaching cannabis expungement in this way, particularly on a felony level," Faulkner said. "Rather than someone having to hire an attorney, go to court, go through a process, our attorneys and paralegals will literally look at every cannabis case and see if it's eligible." The board pulls its cases from a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension database of ■ See EXPUNGEMENT on page 5
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