Reynolds' 'Back the Blue' bill already faces opposition from Black Lives Matter

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposed bill to increase penalties for those who attack the police has yet to be introduced at the Statehouse, but it’s already facing strong opposition from Des Moines leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In her Condition of the State address, Reynolds said cities such as Minneapolis, Portland and New York have “embraced the attacks on law enforcement, and now their violent crime rates are rising for the first time in a generation. That’s not going to happen in Iowa; not on my watch.”

Reynolds said she’ll be introducing a bill that “protects law enforcement” and makes clear that “if you riot or attack our men and women in uniform, you will be punished.”

The bill has yet to be filed, but the governor’s official website says her “Back the Blue Act” will include these elements:

• An explicit assertion of the rights of police officers to “pursue civil remedies” against a person that injures them for representing law enforcement, or files a false complaint against them.
• Enhanced penalties for the harassment or assault of police officers.
• Increased penalties for “riotous behavior.”
• A denial of state funding for local governments that reduce their budgets for law enforcement.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/01/14/reynolds-back-the-blue-bill-already-faces-opposition-from-black-lives-matter/