WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Senate GOP police reform bill is taking shape as Democrats continue to push for their own alternative in the House.
Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott said this is the moment to pass meaningful police reform in Congress.
“With more loss of life, this legislation becomes more important,” Scott said Monday.
The release of Scott’s proposal comes as another unarmed black man was fatally shot by police. Rayshard Brooks died in Atlanta, Georgia over the weekend.
“The trust that we have with the police force is broken,” his cousin Tiara Brooks said Monday.
It is something Scott said could have been avoided if his bill was already enacted.
“In our bill, we provide resources for de-escalation training and I think that we’ll save a lot of lives if we can make this bill a law,” he said.
Scott said there are three main parts to his “Justice Act”: Collecting data on the use of force, using grants for police training and being aware of an officers past misconduct.
One thing that isn’t in Scott’s bill is the elimination of “qualified immunity” that protects officers from being held personally liable. It’s something Republicans have called a “nonstarter.”
“Nothing is a nonstarter,” South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) said Monday.
Clyburn said qualified immunity isn’t off the table. It is part of the House and Senate Democrats’ proposed “Justice in Policing” Act.
“I’m the majority whip. My job is the count the votes,” Clyburn said.
He said Democrats have the votes to pass the bill through the House.
President Donald Trump will have the final say on what bill becomes law.
“It’s gotta be passed by one person and the person is me,” President Trump said Monday.
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on police reform Tuesday.
