JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK REACTS TO OFFICER INDICTMENT IN DEATH OF BREONNA TAYLOR, CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE BIPARTISAN POLICING REFORM LEGISLATION AT FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL
JAN URGES PASSAGE OF REFORMS IN KY, WI, PA AND IN CONGRESS TO HONOR TAYLOR, UNIFY NATION IN CRISIS
(Washington, D.C.) – Please credit the following statement to Holly Harris, President and Executive Director of Justice Action Network:
“As our nation, and especially my home Commonwealth, struggle to reconcile the decision in the Breonna Taylor case with the concept of justice, it is important to take action on broad reforms so tragedies like this are not repeated. To that end, we seek to bring attention to states across the country that are moving forward with bipartisan policing reforms that will lead to fairer justice systems, safer communities, and will build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
In their quest for justice, Breonna Taylor’s family sought to honor her memory by calling on lawmakers to enact these reforms. We urge legislatures across the country to heed this call, put partisanship aside, and act in the best interests of all communities.”
Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania legislature recently passed House Bill 1841, requiring all law enforcement agencies in the state to consult a new database with information on disciplinary actions, performance evaluations, and attendance records during a background check. Lawmakers also moved House Bill 1910 to the Governor’s desk, which requires training of local officers on how to treat people of diverse backgrounds, and an annual in-service training on use-of-force and de-escalation techniques.
Wisconsin: In the wake of the shootings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a bipartisan, collaborative approach by authoring and assembling a task force to address racial disparities. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, a Republican, joined Rep. Sheila Stubbs, a Democrat, as co-chairs of this task force which will, among other things, examine data-driven approaches to policing reforms.
Kentucky: And in Kentucky, after the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor, Senate President Robert Stivers took the unusual step of announcing that he will personally sponsor a no-knock warrant reform bill. Declaring his intentions in July, Stivers, who represents conservative Eastern Kentucky, said this effort had bipartisan support, and stated affirmatively, “There is not a place in law enforcement for a no-knock search warrant.”
Federal: The Democratic George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Republican Justice Act and the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act all represent many data-driven reforms that have bipartisan support, including no-knock warrant reform, bans on chokeholds, and other policies that could increase transparency and trust between police and the communities they serve, and help to prevent tragedies like the death of Breonna Taylor.