It may be hard to believe, but it has been an entire year since former Minneapolis Police Department Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. In the months following Floyd’s death, Chauvin has been convicted of murder, protests have taken place in all 50 states and lawmakers continue to push for police reform. Still, those changes, demonstrations and bills do not bring Floyd back to his family.
As the one-year anniversary nears, President Joe Biden plans to host members of the Floyd family at the White House on Tuesday. It also appears that attorney Ben Crump will join the Floyds as they travel to the nation’s capital.
One of the many topics that will likely be discussed is the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act. Led by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the bill seeks to reduce qualified immunity for police officers, quash no-knock warrants and much more. The bill has made its way through the U.S. House of Representatives, but it is expected to face opposition in the more evenly divided Senate. Lee has spent the last two weeks working with Republican Sen. Tim Scott and Democratic Sen. Corey Booker to revise the bill. However, activists and public figures are worried it could be watered down once it reaches the Senate floor.
“We must prevent the suffering the future marginalized POC by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” Crump tweeted.
Lee, Biden and members of the Democratic Party hoped to pass the bill by May 25, but it appears that it will be signed into law until later this summer.
