A bill that will limit the practice of no-knock warrants headed to the floor of the Kentucky State House of Representatives on Wednesday (March 10) for a vote. The bill won’t ban the practice of law enforcement officers from executing no-knock warrants, but it will impose limits.
According to a report by ABC News, the Kentucky state Senate passed the bill in an unanimous vote on February 25.
The bill comes after national protests broke out following the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor who died when officers entered her home executing a no-knock warrant and opened fire.
Republican Senate President Robert Strivers is sponsoring the bill, which will require “clear and convincing evidence” that the “crime alleged is a crime that would qualify a person, if convicted, as a violent offender,” according to the outlet’s report. The bill also imposes time restrictions on no-knock warrants, mandating they be carried out between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
According to multiple reports of the investigations into the shooting death of Breonna Taylor on March 13, 2020, the Louisville Metro Police Department may have used faulty information in securing the warrant that led to the deadly raid on Taylor’s apartment.
State Rep. Attica Scott, a Democrat representing Louisville, sponsored another bill that would completely ban no-knock warrants. Scott’s bill was brought up in committee for discussion on March 10 as well, but ultimately wasn’t voted on.
Scott’s bill includes penalties for police officers who improperly use body cameras, and requires officers who are involved in “deadly incidents” to get tested for drugs and alcohol.
Scott voted in favor of Strivers’ bill, as well as three other Democratic representatives.
“I would love to see some of these reasonable amendments that Rep. Scott is proposing get on this bill going forward,” Rep. Patti Minter, a Democrat, told the outlet. “But I look forward to being a ‘yes’ on the floor if that happens.”
Strivers acknowledged Scott’s efforts and said there may be ways to integrate some of Scott’s ideas.
“I truly appreciate Rep. Scott’s work in this area. And I don’t think that we are seeking different outcomes,” Strivers said.
Last June, the city council of Louisville banned all no-knock warrants. Several other states, including Oregon, Virginia, and Florida, banned no-knock warrants, some as recent as last fall.
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