Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has proposed a possible compromise on the issue of qualified immunity, a roadblock to passing police reform.
Since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of officer Derek Chauvin, police reform has been a contentious issue in Congress with both sides being unable to compromise, especially on the issue of qualified immunity, which grants police protection from individual lawsuits. Per the Hill:
The House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in June 2020, but negotiations for a package that could clear the evenly divided Senate collapsed later. The brutality of the beating taken by Nichols, seen in police videos released last week, has renewed the ambition of legislators to get a reform package passed.
Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), one of Democrats’ lead negotiators on the policing reform bill in 2020, plans to reintroduce a version of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as soon as this week, according to Politico. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) suggested over the weekend that Booker and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), the Senate Republican lead on the bill two years ago, should come back together to negotiate a compromise on a new policing reform bill.
Over the weekend, police reform became a centerfold national issue with the death of Tyre Nichols after he was beaten by five Memphis police officers, all of whom are black. While Lindsey Graham does not support ending qualified immunity, he does believe that legislation should allow citizens to sue police departments for officer misconduct.
“I oppose civil lawsuits against individual officers,” Graham said on Twitter. “However, holding police departments accountable makes sense and they should face liability for the misconduct of their officers.”
“Without accountability, I do not believe the training of police officers will achieve its optimal level,” he added.
Sen. Tim Scott (SC) called for lawmakers to be united and deliver solutions to the country in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death.
“Let us listen to their plea to make our voices heard peacefully and in a productive way that forwards the cause of justice and a more just America,” Scott said. “Let it serve as a call to action for every lawmaker in our nation at every level. The only way to bring light from darkness is to be united.”