IndianaLocalNews

Braun to unveil bill rolling back police immunity from lawsuits

(Photo supplied/Indiana Senate Republcians)

Republican Indiana US Senator Mike Braun may be on a collision course with the leader of Republicans in the Senate.

The Washington Post reports that Braun is backing a bill to reform qualified immunity for law enforcement, and he’s the lone Republican sponsor, referring to a bill supported by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that discourages – but doesn’t ban – chokeholds and “no-knock” warrants as “low hanging fruit.”

Braun’s bill would scale back certain legal protections that keep police officers from being held liable in lawsuits over civil rights violations or excessive force.

The Post adds that Braun calls the practice of qualified immunity an overreach “in which protection is extended to those acting under the color of the law, even when they commit egregious acts which deprive fellow citizens of their constitutional and statutory rights.”

The practice has come into question recently in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice, sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. 

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5 comments

Charles U Farley June 23, 2020 at 9:11 am

Way to get yourself primaried, Braun. Hoosiers are generally “law and order” types, and your proposal will mire police departments down with frivolous lawsuits and will discourage good people from serving in law enforcement at a time when we need good people more than ever.

Why would any sane person be a cop anymore? Keep it up and all you’re going to get will be insane people.

Reply
R June 23, 2020 at 11:08 pm

Hahaha, you people elected him. He should never have been a candidate in the first place. Enjoy.

Reply
Charles U Farley June 24, 2020 at 9:37 am

Not me, I voted for the other guy. Braun was voting Democrat until 2012 and was considered a solid Democrat by the Indiana Republican party. I was afraid he’d be another Joe Manchin, and it looks like I was right.

Reply
Thor June 23, 2020 at 11:32 am

^^^ This^^^

Reply
Larry June 24, 2020 at 8:30 pm

Still a demoncrat . Wolf in sheep clothing .
Previously he would have been Tared
and feathered and run out of town on a rail
Support our police !
A few bad ones should not tie law enforcement hands .

Reply

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