The Alabama House of Representatives is now taking up a bill from Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, that would create a new crime of assaulting a first responder, change riot definitions and penalize municipalities that try to abolish police departments. This will be a thread.
Treadaway, a retired assistant Birmingham Police chief, says there is "an organized effort in this country" regarding protest. Notes that the bill was altered in the House Judiciary Committee. #alpolitics
"This is not about suppressing anybody's right to protest," Treadaway says. Says he's been on the front lines of many protests. This is very similar to the opening argument he made in committee a few weeks back. #alpolitics
The committee debate led to many invocations of the crimes of Alabama's past, and in particular state law enforcement's harsh response to civil rights protests. montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/202… #alpolitics
Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, thanks Treadaway for working with critics but is opposed to it: "It will be used as a tool to keep people from using that First Amendment right That's what I'm afraid of." #alpolitics
Coleman: "I know the gentleman's heart. But I'm afraid this bill will be used as a tool to keep people from going out to protest." #alpolitics
Coleman is invoking the memories of the protestors on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. "If we feel as if the government didn't treat us right, we go out and walk in the streets, we march in the streets to change that policy, to correct those injustices." #alpolitics
Coleman citing a resolution from Sept. 1, 1965, saying the language is similar to Treadaway's bill. #alpolitics
The Alabama resolution said demonstrators (presumably for civil rights) at the time had put an undue burden on Alabama law enforcement, which it claimed led to additional traffic accidents and traffic deaths. #alpolitics
The resolution asked the president to recognition that demonstrations pose a "grave threat" and that the federal government should discredit "demonstrations and demonstrators." #alpolitics
Reminder that Alabama state government at the time was funding two state commissions to attack civil rights activities and make films calling Martin Luther King a "clown." montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/201…
Rep. Ralph Howard, D-Greensboro, asks Treadaway why this bill is needed. Treadaway: "You've got peaceful protestors that got every right to protest, and you had people come out of town and hijack that cause." #alpolitics
Howard asks Treadaway if this happens on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in Birmingham. Treadaway says no. #alpolitics
Howard: "We don't need this law. We need a system of justice that applies it fairly to everybody." #alpolitics
Howard is invoking the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. "No one in my caucus could have gone to the capital, and beat and maim and kill people and walked out smiling. None of us could have done that." #alpolitics
Howard says the Legislature is passing laws based on former President Donald Trump's false assertions of widespread voter fraud. #alpolitics
Howard says the people who are protesting police brutality are seeking justice. "We have never had a problem in this country with seeking justice for police officers ... do you think I could go today, take a flag pole, beat the pulp out of a police officer, & walk away?"
Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, says "There's a huge difference between rioting and protesting" and says Treadaway is bringing the bill for the right reason. #alpolitics
Treadaway's bill passes a procedural motion 73 to 26 with 1 abstention. #alpolitics
Treadaway is offering a substitute that incorporates changes made in committee. This alters the original definition of rioting in the bill, reduces the mandatory hold and changes the circumstances under which the state could cut off revenues to a community re: police. #alpolitics
Per Q from House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, Treadaway says the language around riot was tightened up to not target peaceful protest. Daniels wants the original language read (a section on obstructing governmental & law enforcement functions was removed).
Daniels says there needs to be a conversation between law enforcement and communities about "bridging the gap" between law enforcement and the community. Asks if Treadaway has any thoughts on that. #alpolitics
Treadaway says his police department was 70% minority, and says he lost 8 officers during his time. "We've got to quit demonizing law enforcement as a whole." #alpolitics
Daniels: "What about a person being killed that's innocent of a crime?" Treadaway says "we have to acknowledge that today's law enforcement is not yesterday's law enforcement." Daniels: The community has to be at the table, not on the table." #alpolitics
Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, is up. Notes that she is married to a sheriff, and says law enforcement has a role in protection. "But we can't assume that everyone that has a badge and a gun has our best interests at heart." #alpolitics
Warren said she protested a segregated movie theater in Georgia when she was 13. "I was knocked down with a billy club on the street and I was told to get off the sidewalk because I didn't deserve being on the sidewalk, causing trouble in that town." #alpolitics
Warren says she was served with a federal subpoena as a result of that, at age 13. "What I am trying to say to you, Rep. Treadaway, is we've got to be mindful and truthful of those wearing uniforms who are not in your mindset." #alpolitics
Warren said she will bring an amendment to provide penalties for officers that use excessive force. #alpolitics
Close to an hour on the debate over Treadaway's bill. #alpolitics
Rep. Sam Jones, D-Mobile, a former mayor of Mobile, is up. "When you try to calm a protest with just force, it's not going to work. History is going to prove that. All over the country is going to prove that. They proved that in DC in January." #alpolitics
Jones says people in the debate are using "riot" and "protest" interchangeably. Concernsed that if someone unaffiliated with a protest gets violent, the peaceful protestors will get targeted. "The police really cannot identify who threw the brick, because that person's gone."
Jones says he thinks Treadaway has "good intentions" with his bill. "But I think the effect of your bill won't play out your good intentions ... we need to find a better way than just brute force to reduce the kind of tension that exists in riots and protests." #alpolitics
Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, is criticizing the cloture petitions, saying it denies her "the right to fight for the people who elected me ... we do believe we have the right to debate without being clotured. But you know, what goes around comes around." #alpolitics
Some sharp words going between Moore and Treadaway. Moore said Treadaway was ignoring her questions; Treadaway accused her of calling him a racist. #alpolitics
Moore: "This bill has nothing to do with Birmingham. This is one of the Republican national agenda bills." #alpolitics
Republicans moving to close debate on Treadaway's bill. #alpolitics
Cloture petition passes the House 74 to 26. Ten minutes of debate left. #alpolitics
Rep. Christopher England, D-Tuscaloosa: "We're going to spring break, and it seems like we wanted to get some of the worst bills that we can find, put them on calendar together, and do cloture motions to silence a bunch of people on issues that we just don't want to talk about."
England says he's concerned about a comment that bonding a person out of being held would constitute aiding a riot. "I'm not exactly sure that's what you meant. At least, I hope not." Treadaway says that's not what he was thinking of." #alpolitics
England also says the bill as written would mean less punishment for a person that incited a riot than a person who allegedly participated in it. #alpolitics
England: "What we're using the rioting and looting to do is avoid the discussion about police accountability ... we're creating laws to prosecute protestors because we don't want to hear the truth. So we arrest them." #alpolitics
England: "We watch someone get murdered on TV, and we can't get an audience for a bill that acknowledges there's problems with our policing." #alpolitics
House is voting on Treadaway's bill. First is on the substitute. #alpolitics
House adopts the substitute 75 to 21, 1 abstention. Now an amendment to the substitute that narrows the riot definition. #alpolitics
Rep. Rogers has a point of order on the cloture motion. McCutcheon says the cloture petition was written to encompass all outstanding motions. Amendment approved 73 to 23. #alpolitics
The Alabama House of Representatives votes 74 to 25 (1 ab) for a bill creating a crime of attacking a first responder; changing riot definitions and cutting state funding off for localities that abolish their police. Goes to the Senate. #alpolitics
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