S 3985 : JUSTICE Act

Position: Oppose Status: Senate Judiciary Committee

Although the bill description is, "To improve and reform policing practices, accountability and transparency," S 3985 lacks the necessary changes to address the policing crisis. (LCCHR)

Update

June 25, 2020

June 24, 2020: Senate - Motion by Senator McConnell to reconsider the vote by which cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure was not invoked.
Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley voted no. Thank them!
June 17, 2020: S 3985 was introduced bySen. Scott, Tim [R-SC]
S 3985 has 48 co-sponsors, all Republicans

Ceasefire Oregon has joined with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) in opposing S 3985, the JUSTICE Act.

From LCCHR: “The JUSTICE Act is an inadequate response to the decades of pain, hardship, and devastation that Black people have and continue to endure as a result of systemic racism and lax policies that fail to hold police accountable for misconduct. This bill falls woefully short of the comprehensive reform needed to address the current policing crisis and achieve meaningful law enforcement accountability. It is deeply problematic to meet this moment with a menial incremental approach that offers more funding to police, and few policies to effectively address the constant loss of Black lives at the hands of police.

“The bill does nothing to address current barriers to holding law enforcement accountable, such as abolishing qualified immunity or criminalizing the reckless use of force. It does not address, let alone prohibit, the perverse yet pervasive practice of racial profiling, nor does it include explicit bans on dangerous practices like chokeholds or no-knock warrants. It fails to address the militarization of police or the need for a national standard restricting the use of force, and lacks the national, robust, and publicly available misconduct registry required for true transparency.

“Further, the JUSTICE Act provides more than $7 billion of additional federal dollars for law enforcement over the next five years, directly contradicting our coalition’s call and that of those marching in the streets to redefine public safety by reducing the footprint of our criminal legal system. “