By Renzo Downey –
Over the course of one week, lawmakers have prepared a bill to prevent excessive use of force by police officers for consideration on the House floor.
Despite the quick turnaround on the legislation, which wasn’t submitted until Tuesday, the bill (HB 7051) is the product of months of negotiations between House leadership, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus and stakeholders like law enforcement.
After a unanimous vote in the Appropriations Committee Friday, the bill is ready for consideration by the full House next week. The House Judiciary Committee also approved the language unanimously Thursday, which allowed the committee and Reps. Cord Byrd and Fentrice Driskell to formally file the legislation later that day.
Proponents say the bipartisan measure would help restore public trust in the police.
While the House considered the police reform bill this week, the Senate passed the anti-riot bill (HB 1), Republicans’ measure against violent protests that Democrats and other critics say would disproportionately affect minority protesters. Meanwhile, a Minnesota court is nearing the end of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd‘s neck before he died.
