Rep. Jim Banks Proposes Law That Will Require Arrested Protesters To Pay Police Overtime Costs

Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks announced Monday that he would be introducing legislation intended to “stop lawless protests.”

Climate protesters attempted to shut down Washington, D.C. Monday, blocking intersections and bringing traffic to a standstill while world leaders discussed climate change and possible actions at the United Nations, and Banks responded with the promise of a bill that would force arrested protesters to pay for the increased cost incurred by police officers charged with keeping the peace during such protests.

“Under my bill, a person will be responsible for public safety response costs incurred by the District of Columbia’s response to a demonstration if, in connection with the demonstration, the person is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense,” Banks explained.

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Congress getting tough on criminals who target law enforcement

WASHINGTON, DC- Some are calling for laws that would create stronger penalties for people who assault or kill any police officer.

One such bill has been presented to lawmakers. It’s called the “Protect and Serve Act.”

“There’s a war on law enforcement,” said Patrick Yoes, President of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Police officers say they need all the help they can get.

“There is definitely a crisis in public safety,” Yoes said.

Yoes  wants more help from Congress.

“The Protect and Serve Act is definitely our top priority,” Yoes said.

The Protect and Serve Act would make it a federal crime to assault or kill a law enforcement officer.

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Allegheny County council votes against civilian police review board

PITTSBURGH — A bill to create a civilian police review board that could investigate allegations of misconduct was defeated by a 9-6 vote Tuesday night in Allegheny County Council.

The only department that would have automatically been subject to the oversight is Allegheny County Police. Each individual municipality would have been able to opt in.

Councilman DeWitt Walton, one of the main proponents of the bill, said that it will be reintroduced in January.

In the days leading up to the vote, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he would sign the legislation if it passed.

"We appreciate the work that council has done on this issue, which mirrors the efforts being discussed at the state," Fitzgerald said in a written statement Tuesday night. "This is an important conversation, and council members Walton and (Paul) Klein should be commended for keeping the focus on how we address policing and citizen complaints in our communities."

Walton said the issue is largely about standardizing the way police departments are reviewed in Allegheny County.

"Ninety-five percent of police officers do a great job every day," said Walton, a Hill District Democrat. "It's just those 5% that slip through that need to be held accountable."

The president of the Allegheny County Police Association said the group was against the idea.

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Democrats move on gun control

Some House Democrats will return early from the summer recess to advance gun control legislation, including a bill banning large ammunition magazines.

The House Judiciary Committee announced a Sept. 4 vote on a group of measures aimed at reducing gun violence.

“For far too long, politicians in Washington have only offered thoughts and prayers in the wake of gun violence tragedies,” Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said. “Thoughts and prayers have never been enough. To keep our communities safe, we must act.”

The Democratic-led House passed a universal background check bill in February, but the GOP-led Senate has ignored it so far due to a lack of significant Republican support.

House Democrats are nonetheless ready to advance additional gun control measures. Nadler, a Democrat from New York, said he’ll take up a measure that would ban high-capacity ammunition magazines which were used in a string of deadly mass shootings this summer.

The committee will vote to advance the measure on Sept. 4 and plans a Sept. 25 hearing on banning “military-style assault weapons,” Nadler said.

Nadler will also hold a Sept. 4 vote on the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which would provide grants to encourage states to impose “red flag” laws allowing law enforcement to remove weapons from people who are deemed dangerous to themselves or others. The panel will also consider a measure that would establish procedures for obtaining extreme risk protection orders in federal court.

Finally, lawmakers will vote to advance the Disarm Hate Act, which would block the sale of guns to anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime.

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