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Texas lawmakers consider George Floyd police reform bill
Hearings are being held in the Texas state capital on a sweeping police reform bill named after Houstonian George Floyd. The Floyd family offered passionate testimony as members of law enforcement fought to protect qualified immunity.
AUSTIN - At the state capitol in Austin, critical hearings have begun on a slate of police reforms bearing George Floyd's name - increased training, testimony corroboration, mandatory by-standing officer intervention on excessive force and most controversially, elimination of "qualified immunity", which shields officers from civil lawsuits.
Long-time Houston Representative Senfronia Thompson is leading the crusade for change with plenty of support.
"Above all, this bill is about ending systemic racism and remembering when the world watches 8 minutes and 46 seconds," said Thompson.
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"The only people who will be hurt by this bill are the people who are not policing the right way," said State Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat.
In a day filled with impassioned advocacy, the testimony of Floyd's family proved the most powerful.
"This was a public lynching. I speak from the heart, because I loved him. The family loved him. Let's put the right people behind the badge. You are not there to kill, you are there to protect and serve. My little brother was killed over $20 that wound up being real," said Travis Cains, George Floyd's older brother.
And while law enforcement appeared receptive to some reform, the prospect of eliminating the protection of "qualified immunity" drew fierce push back.
"We cannot support the bill that does away completely with qualified immunity. That would severely hurt and hamper the good and many police officers that come to work every day and do this job the right way," testified Deandre Hutchison, President of the Afro-American Police Officers League.
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"If you remove qualified immunity, you are going to decimate the law enforcement profession and your officers are going to leave perhaps by the thousands," said Stan Standridge representing the Texas Police Chiefs Association.
While Governor Greg Abbott has promised the Floyd family reform, he also maintains very strong ties to law enforcement - a relationship which doesn't bode well for those pushing elimination of qualified immunity for Texas police.
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