Page 53 - Amendment Center News Today

BATON ROUGE, La. (May 12, 2021) – Yesterday, the Louisiana House passed a bill that would create a process to sue police officers in state court for using excessive force without the possibility of “qualified immunity” as a defense. But an amendment to the bill could create a chilling effect on those looking for justice. […]

While the Potter County Commissioners’ Court approved a resolution earlier this month, authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) to support the implementation of a public defender/managed assigned counsel program from Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) for Potter and Armstrong Counties, Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner stated she plans on withdrawing the resolution this week, not seeing NDS as a good match for the county.  This comes a...

PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 6, 2021) – Yesterday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law reforming the state’s asset forfeiture laws and prohibiting the state from taking a person’s property without a criminal conviction in most cases. The proposed legislation builds on important reforms signed into law in 2017 that opted Arizona out of a federal forfeiture program. A coalition of 12 Republicans introduced House Bill 2810 (HB2810) on Feb. 8. Arizona law now requires a criminal conviction ...

Potter County approves grant to continue new public defender office potential Over the last four years, the Potter County Commissioners’ Court has worked to revamp its indigent defense system. During the most recent meetings of the court, that process, in conjunction with the Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS), progressed slightly.  First, the court unanimously approved a resolution, authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) during Mon...

Louisiana House Committee Passes Bill to Ban Enforcement of Some Future Federal Gun Control BATON ROUGE, La. (April 29, 2021) – On Thursday, a Louisiana House committee passed a bill to prohibit state and local enforcement of some future federal gun control. Passage into law would represent a step toward stopping certain future federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms within the state. Rep. Larry Frieman (R-Abita Springs) filed House Bill 118 (HB118) on March 15. Titled t...

BOSTON, MA (April 29, 2021) – A bill introduced in the Massachusetts House would eliminate qualified immunity as a defense for police officers sued in state court for using excessive force or taking other actions that violate individual rights. Rep Antonio Cabral (D) introduced House Bill 1479 (H1479) on March 29. Massachusetts already allows people to sue law enforcement officers under state law for “an alleged act or failure to act which constitutes a violation of the civil rights of any ...

Missouri Bill to Ban Enforcement Federal Gun Control: Past, Present and Future Debated on Senate Floor JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (April 30, 2021) – On Tuesday, the full Missouri Senate debated a bill that would take on federal gun control; past, present and future. Passage into law would represent a major step toward ending federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms within the state. Sen. Eric Burlison (R-Battlefield) filed Senate Bill 39 (SB39) on Dec. 1. Titled the “Second A...

Alabama House Committee Passes Bill to Ban Enforcement of New Federal Gun Control by Executive Order MONTGOMERY, Ala. (April 28, 2021) – Yesterday, an Alabama House committee passed a bill that would set the foundation to end enforcement of future presidential executive orders relating to firearms. Passage into law would represent a small step toward neutering future federal gun control in Alabama. Sen. Gerald Allen (R) introduced Senate Bill 358 (SB358) on March 30. The subsitiute bill passe...

Arizona currently has some of the most onerous civil asset forfeiture laws in the country. Although prosecutors claim that drug kingpins and white-collar criminals are their primary targets, three-quarters of forfeiture cases involve property valued at less than $10,000. “The median cash forfeiture in Arizona was $1,000,” said Paul Avelar, managing attorney for the Institute for Justice’s Arizona office. “When half of your cash forfeitures are less than $1,000, it is not a tool that is ...

Texas Senate Passes Bill Protecting Joe Biden’s Gun Control Plans AUSTIN, Texas (April 28, 2021) – Yesterday, the Texas Senate passed a bill that originally would have banned state and local enforcement of any new federal gun control, but amended it to essentially support  all new gun control measures coming from the Biden administration. Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) introduced Senate Bill 513 (SB513) on Jan 28. This month, it garnered 6 additional cosponsors and the support of Gov. Greg Ab...