Virginia Democrats worry Republicans will roll back reforms

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — What a difference two years makes. Advocates who fought for criminal justice and police reforms in Virginia after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis are worried that their progress could be rolled back by the new Republican majority in the state’s House of Delegates.

After Floyd's killing sparked months of protests around the country, Virginia's legislature — then controlled by Democrats — passed a sweeping package of reforms, including legislation banning the use of chokeholds and no-knock search warrants; a law that calls for mental health specialists to have a prominent role in responding to people in crisis; and a measure aimed at demilitarizing police departments by prohibiting the acquisition of certain weapons and equipment.

Virginia, a state that had executed more people in its long history than any other, also approved legislation to end capital punishment, a law that seemed to complete a dramatic turnaround on criminal justice reform.

But after taking control of the House in the November election, Republicans are now in a position to potentially overturn some of the reforms. Their proposed rollbacks include bills that would restore the ability of police to get no-knock search warrants, and to stop motorists for minor infractions such as operating without brake lights or driving with defective equipment. Another Republican-sponsored bill would reinstate the death penalty for the killing of law enforcement officers.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virginia-democrats-worry-republicans-will-roll-back-reforms/ar-AATHlzp