The state’s special session over police reform took a turn Tuesday after members of the House Appropriations Committee revived a bill allowing citizens to sue law-enforcement officers for misconduct.
Two Democrats voted against the measure earlier this week in a committee meeting. Then, one of them asked his colleagues to reconsider.
That’s because Delegate Jeff Bourne, the bill’s sponsor, proposed an amendment to limit liability for off-duty officers.
“The thing that we were trying to address is those situations where a police officer, a sheriff’s deputy is in uniform working an off-duty event,” he explained.
Under a substitute bill, municipal or state departments could not be sued for the actions of uniformed officers doing contract work outside of the regular job.
In spite of the change, lawmakers sparred across the aisle.
Republican Kirk Cox brought up common concerns from law-enforcement officers.
“The worst thing that can happen to you is you’re second guessing yourself all the time in the back of your mind is, ‘I can always be sued,'” Cox said.
To which Democratic Delegate Delores McQuinn replied, “For eight and a half minutes, someone was on George Floyd’s neck. There should’ve been a second guess at that time.”
The bill passed out of committee on a party-line vote, but it could face an uphill battle. A similar measure was voted down in the Senate.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.