Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Republicans across the nation are increasingly turning the "defund the police" line into a political argument, pitting a fear of rising crime in major cities against calls for racial justice and reforms to police behavior. bit.ly/2FtPuPR

2/ But the term "defund the police" doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone calling for police reforms — and not all supporters of police budget cuts want law enforcement agencies to lose all of their money and be disbanded. bit.ly/2FtPuPR

3/ The death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes in May, revived a nationwide movement calling for reforms to American policing and the criminal justice system. bit.ly/2FtPuPR

4/ In Texas, where the largest cities spend more on police than anything else, police reform activists are asking their city councils to reallocate part of these funds toward areas like housing, social services and public spaces. bit.ly/3k9PKTr

5/ Other Texas activists and officials say they want to limit police budgets so more funds can be directed toward remedying the racism, segregation and poverty often fueling tense relations between police and residents of color in the first place. bit.ly/2RdqPlp

6/ @AmbassadorRice, for example, said at #TribFest20 that she doesn’t support defunding police but supports "reimagining the role of police" and reallocating funds to social and economic development in some cities. bit.ly/2RagmXY

7/ Last month, Austin City Council was the first in Texas to answer calls to shift police funds to other social programs. The city cut $20 million from the police budget and put another $130 in transitional funds that will reorganize some police duties. bit.ly/35oqqos

8/ But “defund the police” has become an alarm bell for Republicans. This week, Gov. Abbott called on all Texas candidates to sign a pledge “backing the blue” and opposing police budget cuts — his latest political move to fight efforts to cut funding. bit.ly/3hiroF9

9/ In August, the governor and other Texas leaders said they will push for legislation next year that would freeze property tax revenues in cities that cut police budgets. bit.ly/3mdyGxM

10/ And Gov. Abbott has suggested two other legislative proposals to counter any efforts to cut police budgets or shift money toward other social services, including one that would let the state take over the Austin Police Department at the city’s expense. bit.ly/2FtPuPR

11/ Texas Democrats have pushed back on Abbott’s stance against police budget cuts, saying they don’t support fully defunding police either.

They’ve argued Republicans have used the topic as a way to distract from what they call a failed response to the coronavirus.

12/ In their arguments against funding cuts, though, Republicans point to polling that shows voters are more likely to oppose cutting police budgets heading into Election Day. bit.ly/2FtPuPR

13/13 Read more here. bit.ly/2FtPuPR