In the three weeks after George Floyd’s death and ensuing nationwide protests, 16 state legislatures have taken up the issues roiling the country. As of Tuesday, legislatures had introduced, amended or passed 159 bills and resolutions related to policing.
requiring officers to pay attention to the medical and mental health needs of people in their custody“People have spoken,” Bailey said. “Folks have been complaining about police brutality for so many years, and it just goes away. It couldn’t go away this time. Not only are we going to take the street, but we are also going to push for changes in the legislature.”
Currently, more than half of the state legislatures are out of session, many because of the impact of COVID-19. Amber Widgery, who leads the criminal justice program at the NCSL, said she expects more police reform bills from state legislatures when they reconvene. Some governors, like, have already announced they will call legislatures back into session to address police accountability.
“We don’t get to pick the moment in which we have allies who can unite and that we can get something done,” Smith said. “This was one of those opportunities in which we could really gain ground by finding the commonality and really addressing something that went beyond politics. But also that also means that we have to be mindful of knowing that they may not feel that way tomorrow. It’s still yet to be seen — this is the first step, the verdict is still out.
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