Last year, California came out with one of the strictest guidelines across the nation on police's use of deadly force. But despite the affirmative action and reparations, Black legislators in the State say it's not enough and it's time to do more.

Following the incident in Minneapolis which involved a police officer who kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for almost nine minutes, the law's author said, the black man's death proves that more must be done.

In a news conference held this week, Democrat Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, the author of the "use-of-force" law, said, such occurrences are reminding her that Black Americans are "still maltreated" and disrespected by a country that has instilled in "itself to hate African Americans."

Specifically, the law, she said, "has taught others that we are inhuman." This assemblywoman has spent most of her eight years as a lawmaker making alterations and modifications to the criminal justice system of California, an initiative, she explained, that peaked in 2019 along with the passing of Assembly Bill 392 or AB 392. 

Demanding More

Though there is already a bill pertaining to police's use of deadly force which was passed last year, protests over the death of Floyd, as well as the ongoing national issue over police brutality and killing has Democrats and activists demanding more.

They said, "AB392 was a great starting point," although not considered as the finish line. The California Legislative Black Caucus members this week had their priorities laid out. 

Among these priorities are having the parole periods capped, recompensing the slaves' descendants, and abolishing components of Proposition 209, the ballot guideline in 1996 that prohibited affirmative action. 

Weber explained to The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board on Thursday, "We can't tinker around the edges anymore." She also added that something dramatic and important needs to be done and that "we are at a state" that is predominantly ethnic. 

Therefore, the lawmaker stated that such deed needs to be reflected "in everything we do." There is a need, Weber sated, of affirmative action in the State again to give hope to the people.

Paving the Way for Ambitious Proposals

According to policy director for the Anti Police-Terror Project, James Burch, both the protests and AB 392 "have paved the way" for more ambitious proposals such as the advocacy of his organization for taking money from police groups rather than from fund community groups that are skilled in the intervention of mental health crisis.

Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom, governor of California, signed the "use-of-force law" in August this year, after the so-called "rocky battle" between the law enforcement unions and advocates that ultimately concluded with "bipartisan support" for the legislation.

This new bill shifted the deadly force of standard of California from rational or reasonable to essential or necessary based on the entirety of conditions a police officer is facing in certain circumstances.

Even though an apparently minor change, advocates claim, the elevated bill would save many lives by necessitating authorities to use what they call, "de-escalation" tactics prior to employment of deadly force.

This bill was inspired by a long list of people of color who were killed by police in America which includes 22-year-old Stephon Clark from Sacramento who was shot to death in 2018 by the authorities who thought the cellphone in his possession was a gun.

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