Note: Due to popular demand, the live webcast of this program is full. You may register for the rebroadcast on August 20th at 9:00 am, or watch it on demand after August 7th.
Legislative reforms currently being debated in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor has illuminated for some the deep racial inequity at the root of policing. Floyd and Taylor’s murders are some of the most recent in a long list of names of Black people who have been unjustly killed by the police. Activists and organizers have mobilized people from every walk of life to demand justice and an end to violent and racially biased policing. Calls for everything from abolition and defunding the police to greater accountability and improved training have flooded the media, communities, and the halls of government.
All of this has led to both the Senate and House leaders indicating they will have a police reform bill ready the end of the legislative session on July 31. Our program looks at this bill and examines the legislations strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for growth. How will a statewide certification of police officers help reform their ranks? Does the ban on chokeholds and the excessive use of force create a better climate to see further change? What will the legislation’s practical implications be for overpoliced communities? Join our expert panel as they discuss these and other aspects of the legislation.