Your state representatives have the power to significantly reduce police violence in your state. Here are some actions they need to be taking TODAY. A thread.
1. They need to change the law defining how and when police can use deadly force. Most state laws are WEAKER than the minimum requirements set by the Supreme Court. State laws can and should be MORE restrictive than that minimum “objective reasonableness” standard. For example...
46 states don’t require police exhaust *all reasonable alternatives* before using deadly force. It shouldn’t be acceptable for police to claim it’s “reasonable” to shoot a person walking towards them unarmed or w/ knife when police could’ve “reasonably” backed up or used a taser.
2. Change how “reasonableness” is defined. In most states, only the instant the shot is fired gets evaluated. Police can escalate a situation with impunity because the law doesn’t say “evaluations of reasonableness include officer’s actions leading up to the use of deadly force.”
3. Change state training requirements. Police get to claim “reasonableness” by saying a similarly trained officer would’ve acted the same way. And of course they would. This is how police are trained.
4. Accountability. That means repealing “police bills of rights” in the 14 states that have them, opening police misconduct records to the public, and banning police union contract language that lets police get rehired after being fired.
5. States should be funding community oversight structures with the power to subpoena police, discipline them, and shape department policy. The community pays the officers’ salaries and should be able to remove officers from their streets. Policing is a job, not an entitlement.
6. Decriminalization and divestment. Police depts already get substantial funding with little evidence of their effectiveness re: public safety. They should not be the primary strategy for “quality of life” offenses and mental illness. Fund communities & health providers instead.
7. Cut ties with police unions. They are the NRA of Democratic politics. They block almost every police reform in Democratic cities & states. They fund candidates, protect abusers and disparage victims. Standing up to them should be litmus test for Dem candidates moving forward.
The good news is most states are currently in session. Your state reps are currently working. Make sure they’re working for YOU. You can tell them to take action here. joincampaignzero.org/#action 
