Police Reform Bill Could Preserve Qualified Immunity 

Despite hours of negotiations and decades of activism, lawmakers negotiating a police reform bill are scrapping changes to the legal doctrine known as “qualified immunity,” Politico reports. Without the elimination of qualified immunity, which shields police officers from civil liability for misdeeds, the bill might be a tough sell to progressives, though Republicans are adamant on preserving the legal doctrine. Qualified immunity became a flashpoint after the murder of George Floyd, when many Americans discovered how legal doctrines can shield officers from accountability.

The Democratic Party remains divided on their devotion to eliminating qualified immunity. While some lawmakers, like Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), say scrapping qualified immunity is critical to reducing police violence, others, like House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), have suggested that they’d be open to police reform legislation that didn’t get rid of qualified immunity. Lead negotiators Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) have missed several self-imposed deadlines for the police reform bill, and Scott said the group is working on a “slimmed down version” of their bill.