The nation watched closely recently as former Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin was found guilty in the death of George Floyd. Floyd's death sparked a national outcry for police reform including here in Texas where lawmakers began work on passing "The George Floyd Act", in honor of Floyd who was from Texas originally, but that effort may have come to an end despite Chauvin's conviction.

Dallas Democratic State Senator Royce White in an recent interview with KENS, says that the proposed "George Floyd Act" does not have enough votes to pass the Texas House and Senate.

Known as "House Bill 88", the bill would in part ban chokeholds and require officers to intervene if their partner is using excessive force and bring an end to "Qualified Immunity" which shield police officers from lawsuits when they're accused of violating someone's rights.

The ending of "Qualified Immunity" was the part of the bill that drew the most pushback according to The Texas Tribune. West went on to add that incremental legislation like "intervening when excessive force" and a bill that requires police officers to immediately request or perform medical aid for anyone who is injured have already passed.

West says that he hopes the Chauvin verdict will serve as a "wake up call" for officers to recognize that they could be held accountable for their actions. As of March 25th, the bill was still listed as "left pending in committee" in the House.

 

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