Police look on as demonstrators gathered outside Austin Police headquarters for another night of protest against police violence in June. Austin cut its police budget and moved some functions out of the department last year. Texas officials want to make it harder for cities to reduce law enforcement budgets. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
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The Texas Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent local governments from cutting their law enforcement budgets without voter approval.
It was the Legislature’s most substantial move yet in a political war over police funding in Texas that was sparked last summer. The in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and fatal police shooting of Mike Ramos in Austin prompted protests against police brutality and racial injustice and strengthened calls to change policing practices, ultimately leading th
Apr 14, 2021
A bill requiring voter approval for police budget cuts is on the way to the Texas House after the Senate passed it on Tuesday. The bill comes as a pushback against calls around the country to defund police forces. The city of Austin cut its police budget following the fatal police shooting of Mike Ramos, and the death of George Floyd in custody of the Minneapolis police. Senators passed Senate Bill 23 on a bipartisan vote of 28-to-2.
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Voters would have to approve police budget cuts under bill approved by Texas Senate
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The Texas Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent local governments from cutting their law enforcement budgets without voter approval.
It was the Legislature’s most substantial move yet in a political war over police funding in Texas that was sparked last summer. The in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and fatal police shooting of Mike Ramos in Austin prompted protests against police brutality and racial injustice and strengthened calls to change policing practices, ultimately leading the city of Austin to cut its police budget.
April 8, 2021 Guest Submission
The George Floyd Act addresses qualified immunity by creating a cause of action for deprivation of rights; requires corroboration for the testimony of undercover police officers; adds a duty to intervene and to render aid; prohibits chokeholds and limits lethal force to imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death. It also ends arrests for many non-jailable fine-only violations and mandates creation of a progressive disciplinary matrix establishing different disciplinary actions for policy violations and violations of law by police. The law would call for these actions to be developed through a statewide process with stakeholders using evidence-based practices.