In a futile effort to appease their BLM and Antifa base the Democrat controlled House of Representatives has passed the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” which will serve only to make America’s streets more dangerous for Americans of every race. It’s a bitter way to remember the tragic death that sparked 180 days of BLM/Antifa riots, costing at least 25 lives and billions in damages.
First, The Dems Forced It Through- Not One GOP Vote
House Republicans could only sit and watch Democrats force the bill through along party lines, in a 220-212 vote. It’s fate in the US Senate, with it’s razor thin majority is uncertain as the bill will certainly be subject to the Republicans’ only remaining tool: the filibuster.
This bill was passed previously in 2020 but was doomed in the Republican controlled Senate, in the Biden-Harris regime, it has a new lease on life. California Rep. Karen Bass, a Democrat and former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus who reintroduced the bill with House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
ABC12 reported,
“The sweeping legislation, which was first approved last summer but stalled in the Senate, was named in honor of Floyd, whose killing by police in Minnesota last Memorial Day sparked protests nationwide. The bill would ban chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement and create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability.”
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the Senate proposed his own bill but was rebuffed as his didn’t address qualified immunity and was seen to “not go far enough” by Democrats. Republicans behind Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky already spearheaded the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act to ban no-knock warrants.
KnoxNews reported,
“The qualified immunity provision in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has been a tough selling-point for GOP senators. Scott, the lone Black Republican senator, did not address qualified immunity — the legal doctrine that shields police officers from being held personally liable in civil court if they kill someone — in his legislation. It was subsequently blocked by Democrats, who argued that it did not go far enough.
Scott told reporters Monday he had a conversation with Bass “looking at the bill holistically.”
The Bill Is A Disaster That Will Harm Law Enforcement- Force More Conflicts
In January a similar bill was passed in the State of Illinois and awaits the signature of the Governor. 19 year retired Police officer, author of “Before The Badge– Everything you Need to Know Before You Become a Cop” and 2018 Candidate for Cook County Sherriff, Dominick Izzo shared his thoughts on House Bill 3653 with Patriot United News. Dominick, a conservative talk show host on MoJo5.0 Radio, did not disappoint, telling his listeners in a familiar refrain: “Be careful what you wish for“.
Izzo said,
“For years I’ve pointed out that eventually cops are going to be so screwed. And I don’t know which direction it was going to be coming towards. Let me give you the definition of one of the things they’re taking off of the table, its called “Qualified Immunity”. And a lot of cops are scared about that, and that’s actually a protection for civil lawsuits,”
The Police veteran continued to paint a dystopian picture of policing under the type of provisions the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” would bring,
Izzo stated that he hopes police will stay on the job, but that people should expect a change in how officers respond under the new threat of legal liability.
“This is what I do hope happens, I don’t hope that there is a mass exodus of law enforcement, I hope that they stay. But I also hope that they stick around and just drive around in circles, and make their presence known, and collect their $80 Grand a year. Just do that.”
“Your law enforcement may not want to do anything because you could sue them for any reason whatsoever. It’s gonna be really crappy. Illinois lawmakers eliminated: Cash bail, Qualified Immunity and collective bargaining rights for police among… Collective Bargaining Rights!!?! Oh I’m so glad I’m done, for police among other dramatic measures.
Here’s a breakdown of the bill’s provisions:
“Racial & Religious Profiling”
- Prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from racial, religious and discriminatory profiling.
- Mandates training on racial, religious, and discriminatory profiling for all law enforcement.
- Requires law enforcement to collect data on all investigatory activities.
“Banning Chokeholds & No-Knock Warrants”
- Bans chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level and conditions law enforcement funding for state
and local governments banning chokeholds. - Bans no-knock warrants in drug cases at the federal level and conditions law enforcement funding for
state and local governments banning no-knock warrants at the local and state level. - Requires that deadly force be used only as a last resort and requires officers to employ de-escalation
techniques first. Changes the standard to evaluate whether law enforcement use of force was justified
from whether the force was “reasonable” to whether the force was “necessary.” Condition grants on
state and local law enforcement agencies’ establishing the same use of force standard.
“Limit Military Equipment on American Streets & Requires Body Cameras”
- Limits the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement.
- Requires federal uniformed police officers to wear body cameras and requires state and local law
enforcement to use existing federal funds to ensure the use of police body cameras. - Requires marked federal police vehicles to have dashboard cameras.
“Reimagine Public Safety in an Equitable and Just Way”
- This bill reinvests in our communities by supporting critical community-based programs to change the
culture of law enforcement and empower our communities to reimagine public safety in an equitable and
just way. - It establishes public safety innovation grants for community-based organizations to create local
commissions and task forces to help communities to re-imagine and develop concrete, just and equitable
public safety approaches. These local commissions would operate similar to President Obama’s Task
Force on 21st Century Policing.
“Change the Culture of Law Enforcement”
- Requires the creation of law enforcement accreditation standard recommendations based on President
Obama’s Taskforce on 21st Century policing. - Creates law enforcement development and training programs to develop best practices.
- Studies the impact of laws or rules that allow a law enforcement officer to delay answers to questions
posed by investigators of law enforcement misconduct. - Enhances funding for pattern and practice discrimination investigations and programs managed by the
DOJ Community Relations Service. - Requires the Attorney General to collect data on investigatory actions and detentions by federal law
enforcement agencies; the racial distribution of drug charges; the use of deadly force by and against law
enforcement officers; as well as traffic and pedestrian stops and detentions. - Establishes a DOJ task force to coordinate the investigation, prosecution and enforcement efforts of
federal, state and local governments in cases related to law enforcement misconduct.
“Improve Transparency by Collecting Data on Police Misconduct and Use-of-Force”
- Creates a nationwide police misconduct registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave
one agency, from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability. - Mandates state and local law enforcement agencies to report use of force data, disaggregated by race,
sex, disability, religion, age.
“Stop Sexual Assault in Law Enforcement Custody”
- Makes it a crime for a federal law enforcement officer to engage in a sexual act with an individual who
is under arrest, in detention, or in custody. It prohibits consent as a defense to prosecution for unlawful
conduct. Incentivizes states to set the same standards.
