GOP leaders: Not ready to support police reform bill
Republicans leaders of the General Assembly’s law-writing committee were non-committal Friday on whether they will support even part of a sweeping police reform bill that will be the focus of the General Assembly’s special session later this month in response to Black Lives Matter and the growing movement to better hold police responsible for excessive force.
State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas and Sen. John Kissel, ranking members of the Judiciary Committee, while appearing with Democratic committee leaders to announce the legislation, said their perspective was voiced during the drafting of the bill, which they hope will be fully aired in an eventual public hearing.
But while their names appeared on a joint news release on Thursday night when the proposal was posted on the committee’s website, Rebimbas and Kissel said they will not voice opinions until after a full hearing and discussions with fellow Republicans, who are pronounced minorities in both the Senate and House.
Under the 65-page bill released Wednesday night, civilian review boards with subpoena power to investigate police malfeasance, mandatory body and dashboard cameras and the possibility of banning cops from the profession for life would be centerpieces.
It would also create a new inspector general within the state’s Division of Criminal Justice, with the power to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials involved in excessive-force incidents.
And it would take steps to advance the hiring of more minority police officers.
“I just want to let everyone good policing,” Lamont know that I have not personally said. “We’re taking a look endorsed this proposal,” at it, talking to all the stakeholders.” said Kissel, a veteran committee member from Enfield. The governor, who has a
“I can’t predict whether security detail of state there will be votes from my troopers, said he spends a caucus on this bill. This is the lot of time talking with beginning of a process. These them. are issues that have been Earlier in the pandemic, around for years. Where we he ordered an end to the use end up, I don’t know.” of so-called chokeholds
Gov. Ned Lamont, after an unless police feel threatened. unrelated event in Fairfield, Reminded by a reporter said he is looking forward to that the proposal includes studying the bill further. He recertification training credited state Sen. Gary Win- every three years for police, field, D-New Haven, and Rep. and for the first time state Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport,troopers too, Lamont said, co-chairmen of the Judiciary “I think I’ll probably be Committee, with presenting a getting feedback on that reasonable draft proposal. pretty soon, but not yet.”
“I’m told there’s some bipartisan Earlier, in a written statement, support there, and now the governor said it’s we’re going to take a look at it a crucial moment in U.S. and see what it means for history.
“Following the murder of George Floyd, more attention has been paid, in a meaningful way, to other incidents at the hands of law enforcement,” Lamont said. “The time is now for meaningful police accountability reforms.”
The form of the hearing itself is unclear at this point, because of the closure of the State Capitol in the coronavirus pandemic, which suspended the General Assembly in mid-session on March 12, causing a historic shutdown with little legislation at the deadline in early May.