STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JULY 24, 2020…..House lawmakers on Thursday delved into the issues of the use of tear gas, due process rights for police officers, and the makeup of a proposed statewide board that would certify and decertify law enforcement officers during a 12-hour debate on policing reform legislation.
As House leadership and members enter a third day of negotiating amendments behind closed doors and on conference calls, the chamber has churned through all but 47 amendments as of Friday morning. Following an eleven-hour session on Wednesday, the House on Thursday adopted four individual amendments, two consolidated bundles that dispensed with 46 amendments, and rejected 17 amendments.
“It’s not surprising we’re trying to do this bill, a complex, complicated piece of legislation in a short amount of time and it’s challenging,” Minority Leader Brad Jones said after Thursday night’s session. “I feel like circumstances have kind of pushed us to go further and faster and I worry at the end of the day we’re passing something that is going to be, it’s not going to solve the problems that people think it’s going to solve and maybe create other problems.”
