Maryland Lawmakers Override Vetoes On Police Reform
By Staff Reporter
Posted on 04/10/21
| News Source: WBAL
Maryland lawmakers voted Saturday to override Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes of three far-reaching police reform measures that supporters say are needed to increase accountability and restore public trust.
“Last year, I attended and participated in multiple demonstrations of people demanding change - the young and the old, people of all races and walks of life," said Sen. Charles Sydnor, a Democrat who sponsored one of the measures. "With so many situations being thrust before our eyes, we could no longer deny what we see, and I thank my colleagues for believing their eyes and listening to the majority of Marylanders.”
Opponents said the measures went too far. The package includes provisions to increase the civil liability limit on lawsuits involving police from $400,000 to $890,000. An officer convicted of causing serious injury or death through excessive force would face 10 years in prison.
Sen. Robert Cassilly, a Republican, described the legislation as “anti-cop.”
“It allows for hindsight review of folks sitting in the easy chairs to judge people who made split-second decisions in volatile situations," when an officer fears for his or her life and the lives of others, Cassilly said. Read more at
WBAL