Congressman Tonko Cosponsors Major New Police Reform Bill

AMSTERDAM – U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents the 20th Congressional District, joined with more than 200 of his Congressional colleagues this week to introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. 

The legislation would, among other things, ban police chokeholds, restrict “qualified immunity” that prevents police officers from being sued for misconduct, create a national registry to track officers with a history of misconduct, end no-knock warrant use for drug cases and make lynching a federal hate crime. 

“The murder of George Floyd has shocked the conscience of millions of Americans and once again exposed the virulent racism that has long festered at the heart of so many of our nation’s institutions, including the manner in which we enforce the law,” Tonko said in a statement. “Our bill takes several urgent steps forward in addressing the most dangerous and deadly policing practices that have been widely and disproportionately used against Black Americans and other people of color.”