Abbott-backed proposal would put Austin police under state control

A plan endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott to place the Austin Police Department under state control would require Austin to foot the entire bill for policing in the city but have no say on how policing would be done.

Abbott hinted at the potential takeover Monday, posting on Twitter that the Texas  Legislative Council — a nonpartisan agency that assists legislators in drafting legislation — had crafted a plan to transfer Austin Police Department control to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The governor did not provide details, and it was not clear from his tweet if he was referring to a proposal he had floated recently to have the state take over policing in only the middle part of Austin, including the downtown district and the area near the University of Texas. His spokesman said he did not know what Abbott meant in the tweet.

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Defund-police supporters tell Biden they're 'not going away'

 Supporters of defunding the police say they are "not going away" just because Joe Biden will be the next president.

"What we’ve heard so far from the Democratic Party is what they’re not going to do," defund advocate Andrea Ritchie told Mother Jones. "I don’t expect they will be supportive of the main demand from the streets ... It's gonna be a fight. We're not going away."

Biden embraced some calls for police reform during his presidential campaign, such as a ban on chokeholds and the creation of a national police oversight commission. But he opposed far-left efforts to defund the police, a catch-all term for anything from reducing police budgets to abolishing law enforcement completely. Biden instead pushed for $300 million in additional police funding, mainly for improved training.

"I’m very pessimistic about what we can expect, at least initially, from the Biden administration,” said Alex Vitale, a professor and author of a book about police abolition. “He’s made it very clear that he wants to put more resources into policing, that he supports the kind of superficial and ineffective procedural reforms that the Obama administration proposed.”

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Portland police union files legal challenge against civilian police oversight board

 PORTLAND, Ore — The union representing Portland’s police officers has filed a legal challenge against voter-approved Measure 26-217, which is set to establish a civilian police oversight board.

In a press release, the Portland Police Association (PPA) called the measure “terrible public policy.”

“The PPA is committed to open discussions on police reform and accountability, but this measure has been flawed from the very beginning,” the statement said.

That committee would have the power to subpoena officers to testify and impose discipline, including firing. Right now, according to the Portland Police Union contract, the only person who can fire an officer is the police commissioner Mayor Ted Wheeler.

That contract is up for negotiation in January, and PPA president Daryl Turner has argued the Measure thwarts any ability of the city to bargain in good faith.

"From a legal standpoint, the city’s move is fatally flawed," Thursday's press release stated. "Under Oregon law, the very existence of a disciplinary board must be negotiated with the PPA before being sent to the voters. That is a basic, labor law principle."

The measure, which would create an oversight board independent of any existing city bureau, was spearheaded by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. Hardesty is called out by name in the statement from the police association.

“This measure was constructed by Commissioner Hardesty without a full and proper discussion, behind closed doors, and without any communication or bargaining with the PPA,” the statement reads.

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If a city defunds its police, Louisiana would defund that city under proposed bill

Voting largely along party lines, Republicans in the Louisiana House Appropriations committee Monday advanced legislation that could cost local governments state dollars if police budgets are reduced.

But passage came at a political price for House Bill 38’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Lance Harris, of Alexandria.

One opponent, Democratic Rep. Gary Carter, of New Orleans, called the measure a “political stunt” and demanded Harris return his campaign contribution.

Harris is running for the 5th District Congressional seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Alto.

“The idea to defund police has become popular in some respects over the last several months,” Harris said. “There needs to be some discussion as to why.”

His Louisiana Police Funding Protection Act would require universities, parishes, and municipalities to notify the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, in writing, of any reductions in law enforcement funding and to appear before the panel if the funding drops 10% or greater. If the legislative committee, comprised of members of both the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees, finds that the budget cuts have a “significant and harmful” effect on public safety, then the university or local government would lose it's money for construction projects and it's appropriations from sales tax dedications.

“Law and order and the safety of our citizens is the underpinning of our free enterprise system,” Harris said.

Harris pointed to a student protest at Tulane University, but acknowledged that neither the private New Orleans school nor any local government in Louisiana has supported taking money from the police.

Democrats voiced concerns that universities routinely have their state appropriations reduced and often have to resort to across the board cuts. Some police departments, wanting to increase salaries, reduce other programs.

Harris countered that the members of the joint legislative committee are reasonable people who would take such circumstances into consideration.

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