House Will Vote on Policing Act; Would Make it Easier to Prosecute Officers

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District.

On Thursday the House of Representatives will vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a bill that aims to reform policing and hold officers accountable. 

If passed, the bill will ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit military equipment use, make lynching a federal crime and create a national misconduct database. The bill will also end qualified immunity for police and will make it easier to prosecute officers in court by changing the federal criminal standard for misconduct from “willfulness” to “recklessness.” 

“1 in 1,000 Black men and boys will be killed by police over a lifetime, a risk 2.5 times higher than that of a white man,” said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) in a statement. He represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District and is a co-sponsor of the bill. 

“Police encounters are a leading cause of death for young Black men. It is no wonder that protesters across the nation are demanding decisive action and rallying behind the cry of ‘Black Lives Matter.’  This is a pandemic of violence, and Congress must address take urgent and sweeping steps at the federal level to stop the spread.”

If the House votes in favor of the bill, it will go to the Senate for a vote. 

 

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Maryam Shahzad

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

Comments

2 Responses to “House Will Vote on Policing Act; Would Make it Easier to Prosecute Officers”

  1. On June 24, 2020 at 7:37 am responded with... #

    He’s saying lies and you’re printing his lies. Do either of you have a conscience or is lying just an accepted part of being liberal ?

  2. On July 8, 2020 at 5:14 pm responded with... #

    “Police encounters are a leading cause of death for young Black men.” Is that really true?

    Perhaps but only after other forms of homicide, heart disease AND cancer. The study this is referencing did not even take car accidents, overdoses and suicide into account. Young black men are much more likely to be killed by another black man…or I dont know…LIGHTNING than a cop. This is a dangerous false narrative pushed by democratic politicians like Raskin. While policing should be something that we should strive to make better all the time, leaders like Elrich and Raskin should take a few minutes to praise the fantastic police department we have here in Montgomery County along with corrections officers, prosecutors and judges that work hard every day to make our community safe. These men and women are on the front lines and should be applauded not condemned. Shame on Raskin.

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