Louisiana Republicans block qualified immunity bill, setting aside months of bipartisan work
Republicans in a Louisiana Senate committee on Tuesday blocked Rep. Edmond Jordan’s bill to limit qualified immunity for police officers whose conduct is deemed unreasonable — the legislature’s most critical police reform measure and one that was crafted over the last year by a bipartisan panel that included dozens of experts across multiple fields.
House Bill 609, a product of the Louisiana Legislature’s bipartisan Police Training, Screening and De-escalation Task Force, passed the House last month but failed in the Senate Judiciary B Committee in a 2-4 vote. The legislation was a primary goal for Democrats and Black Caucus members this legislative session. It is unlikely it will get another chance before the session ends on June 10.
The 25-member task force was formed in response to national outcry at the 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The task force was made up of lawmakers from both parties along with members from a wide spectrum of the community, including university professors, police officers, social workers and others with ties to the criminal justice system. The bill won the support of nonprofits such as Together Louisiana, Louisiana Progress Action, Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Voice of the Experienced, Louisiana District Attorneys Association and the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, among others.
Read more: https://lailluminator.com/2021/06/01/la-republicans-block-qualified-immunity-bill-setting-aside-months-of-bipartisan-work/