Iowa Republicans say anti-racial profiling bill appears dead for the year, but pro-police measures

Iowa Republicans say anti-racial profiling bill appears dead for the year, but pro-police measures still alive


Iowa lawmakers are not moving forward this year with Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to ban racial profiling by law enforcement, even as they advance several pro-police measures Reynolds had put forward as part of the same bill.

The fragmentation of Reynolds' proposal shows the divides among Republicans, Democrats and civil rights and law enforcement groups on how to move forward to address policing following last summer's pleas for racial justice. In June, as protests were nightly occurrences across Iowa and the nation, the Legislature came together to unanimously pass a bill to curb police misconduct.

The anti-racial profiling measure was one of Reynolds' top priorities for the year. In her Condition of the State speech in January, the governor called for a ban on "disparate treatment" by law enforcement.

She combined that measure with pro-police "Back the Blue" measures that would provide an array of protections for officers, including increased penalties for those who assault public safety employees.

Read more: https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/04/iowa-lawmakers-gov-kim-reynolds-arent-advancing-ban-racial-profiling-pro-police-bills-continue/6920752002/
(Ames Tribune)