BOSTON (WHDH) - After days of discussion and debate, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to pass their version of a police reform bill late Friday night.
The house voted 93 to 66 on the bill that would change police practices statewide.
The bill as written would create a police standards and training commission, ban chokeholds and limit facial recognition technology.
It would also modify qualified immunity for officers.
Yesterday, the House adopted an amendment to allow the use of “no-knock” warrants in situations where officers have reason to believe no children or persons over 65 are present in the home.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo released this statement reading:
“Change is never easy, but with this vote, the House of Representatives acts to ensure fairness and equality. It is the product of countless hours of conversations with a wide swath of stakeholders, including the members of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. I’m deeply grateful to the work of Chairs Cronin and Michlewitz, Representative González, the chair of the MBLLC, and my colleagues in the House for their work on this bill.”
The American Civil Liberties Union also released a statement Friday night reading in part:
“For months, people across the country and the state have been marching in the streets to demand systemic change. Unfortunately, this bill does not reflect the fierce urgency that deadly police violence against Black people demands. Instead, it reflects the depth of entrenched opposition to necessary police reform. Police unions and officers used the weapon of fear to maintain the status quo and undermine even very moderate reforms.
The state Senate passed its own version of the bill earlier this month.”
The House and Senate will have to hammer out the differences between their bills before sending it to Governor Charlie Baker.
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