May 25 marked one year since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis with a police officer’s knee on his neck.
George Floyd could have been me.
He could have been you.
That is why I put forward legislation to begin fixing a broken system that does not value Black lives.
In my travels across the state, I spoke with, marched alongside and listened to advocates on the frontline of the police reform movement. I also spoke with police officers and legal experts on the issues of arrest protocols and officer misconduct.
I knew if this effort became an “us verse them” situation, it would fail.
I grew up in Ferguson. I know what it is like when a call for change goes unanswered by a legislature about 100 miles away.
But now, I’m in that legislature. The first Black man elected to the state Senate in 20 years. So, when I filed Senate Bill 60 to bring real police reform to Missouri, there were naysayers, critics and outright opponents.
There were also people who never lost hope. Longtime advocates eager for a fresh approach. Police officers who confided in me the challenges they faced in expelling bad cops from their ranks. Different groups who could do something remarkable – something historic – if they would just listen to each other.
As with any legislation, my bill took a confusing route through both chambers. But when we hit a roadblock, we would find a way around it. If we lost one supporter, we found two more. If someone only offered a clenched fist, we responded with an outstretched hand. We held no grudges, but also made no excuses.
Finally, in the last days of session, we did it.
For the first time in a long time, actual police reform legislation is on its way to the governor’s desk.
This bill will save Black lives.
It will ban police chokeholds. It will stop departments from passing bad officers onto the next police force. It will punish officers who sexually exploit those in their custody. It will protect good cops who expose the few bad actors in their ranks.
It will create a use-of-force database to stop abuse. It will allow prosecutors to achieve justice for the wrongly imprisoned, like Lamar Johnson and anyone serving time for a crime they did not commit. It will help reformed individuals expunge their records sooner to turn the page and restart their lives.
This bill changes the way officers handle non-violent warrants, meaning no more automatic arrests for failing to pay a court fee or minor offenses. This bill is comprehensive, meaningful and the most successful police reform bill since the death of Michael Brown.
To everyone involved, I offer my most humble gratitude. There is always more to do, but we will not let the thought of a long journey stop us from taking the first step. Today, this bill takes historic steps forward. Now, let us keep going.
