Fate of sweeping police reform bill unclear as Charlie Baker mulls options

The fate of a sweeping police accountability bill now rests with Gov. Charlie Baker, but it’s unclear if the Republican governor will agree to expansive reforms that could shake up law enforcement statewide and have stirred staunch opposition from police unions.

Police reform legislation has been on the lips of civil rights and police leaders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after protests swept the nation this spring in the wake of the high-profile police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Baker kicked off the legislation with a “conversation starter” bill filed in June that outlined an independent, 14-member Peace Officer Standards and Training System to set up licensing standards to be governed with “equal representation” from law enforcement and civilians, and a series of other changes agreed upon by members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus and the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Policy Group.

It spurred a flurry of reform bills that culminated in packages passed by the House and Senate and sent to conference committee in late July. Lawmakers this week agreed to compromise legislation that goes far beyond the reforms in Baker’s initial bill.

While the governor’s office declined to shed any light on where he stands on the compromise bill agreed to by lawmakers on Tuesday night, he said this week increasing police accountability is “an issue that’s important to us.”

The compromise bill includes a POST certification system, but with nine members, and skews the balance toward the civilian side. It also attempts to deliver more widespread changes and begins to roll back qualified immunity protections, bans chokeholds and limits the use of tear gas and no-knock warrants.

Baker has 10 days before he must choose to sign, veto or send the bill back to the Legislature with amendments.

Both chambers passed the compromise bill in votes that split party support. Senators eked out a slim veto-proof margin, passing the bill in a 28-12 vote. Thirty-six Democrats broke ranks with House Speaker Robert DeLeo — who has urged passage of the bill — joining Republicans to oppose the bill in the 91-67 vote.

Police unions have already accelerated efforts to lobby a Baker veto as proponents have set their sights on further reforms.

Massachusetts ACLU President Carol Rose called the legislation “a bold first step.”

Lewis Finfer of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network said “there’s more to do” to abolish qualified immunity protections against civil liability for officers and called for greater reinvestment in communities disproportionately impacted by policing — a provision from the Senate bill omitted in the compromise.

State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz — one of the bill’s architects — said the bill “scores meaningful wins for accountability,” noting the makeup of the nine-member POST commission is the first time any state has included “significant community membership at the table of power.”

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said the compromise bill breaks with “the crux of the agreement that held so much potential on that day back in June” when Baker unveiled his version of police reform legislation.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/37tuTWf