A group pushing Minneapolis to require its police officers to carry professional liability insurance has cleared a critical hurdle to put the issue on the ballot in November.

This week, city officials confirmed that the Committee for Professional Policing had secured 7,054 signatures from registered voters, clearing the threshold of 6,869 signatures required to refer a charter amendment to voters. The group turned in petitions bearing more than 14,600 signatures last month, but an official review found that only 6,360 of those were valid. Organizers were given a second chance to come up with the remaining 509 signatures and turned in an amended petition July 5.

Now the proposal will go to the City Council, which will consult with the city attorney and determine if the plan amounts to a proper charter amendment. In Minneapolis, the only type of ballot measures permitted are amendments to the city's charter, which lays out the general functions of city government. Specific ordinances are set by direct votes of the council.

Organizers behind the proposed Police Insurance Amendment say they aim to cut down on police misconduct by requiring individual officers to carry additional insurance. They say the city could pay the base rate for the new coverage, but officers would be responsible for any premium increases that result from being involved in lawsuits and settlements over misconduct.

The city is currently self-insured and decides on a case-by-case basis if it will cover police misconduct settlements. Between 2012 and September 2015, the city paid out $6.6 million on such cases.

Supporters of the proposal said in a news release that they did careful legal research and "crafted the measure to comport with state and federal laws." They said they have concerns about the city trying to delay the issue, but are convinced it will move forward.

"No matter what the city does to try to keep this off the ballot, our legal team is prepared to ensure that the people can vote on this important police accountability measure," said Michelle Gross, a board member of the Committee for Professional Policing.

The council is expected to request a legal review from city staff members at its meeting July 22 and then consider recommendations from the city attorney when it meets in committee Aug. 3. A final vote could be taken at the council's regular meeting Aug. 5 or 19. Charter amendment proposals must be referred to the county by Aug. 26.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790