LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The family of Breonna Taylor, including her mother, Tamika Palmer, looked on Friday as Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill restricting the use of no-knock warrants.
Taylor was killed last March by Louisville Metro Police officers executing a no-knock warrant to search for evidence in a drug case. No drugs were found, and Taylor's death sparked weeks of unrest in Louisville and nationwide.
“I'm signing Senate Bill 4 to ensure another mother never goes through the pain that Tamika Palmer has felt,” Beshear said during a signing ceremony at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.
The new law limits the use of the no-knock warrants to suspected violent crimes or terrorist activity and bans them for most drug offenses. It also requires that body cameras be used unless the warrant is served by law enforcement in a county with a population of less than 90,000 people, where some departments don't yet have body cameras. Those departments still must use audio to record the raids.
“It's a recognition that ... we in Frankfort are willing to say her name: Breonna Taylor,” said Louisville Sen. Morgan McGarvey, the minority floor leader.
The law states that evidence obtained will not be admissible in court if police fail to use body cameras or audio during raids.
Palmer declined to comment, but family attorney Lonita Baker expressed her gratitude.
“It's an emotional time. But, again, she is encouraged by the progress. We all look forward to push for continued change in the city of Louisville and in the state of Kentucky," Baker said. “While it's not the full legislation that they wanted — in terms of a complete ban on no-knock warrants — they are satisfied that this is a start."
Senate Bill 4 was a bipartisan compromise sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers.
“I can't change the past, but I can hopefully change the trajectory of the future,” Stivers said.
Some of the bill's supporters said they will continue to push for more.
“That's not enough,” Sen. Gerald Neal said. “There's a lot more in the area of social justice that has to be tended to.”
There was some controversy at the Capitol over whether the bill would be named after Taylor since it was not the complete no-knock ban some wanted. A bill sponsored by Louisville Rep. Attica Scott, which would have banned no-knock warrants, was named after Taylor, but the bill never made it to the House floor.
Baker said the family would have been fine with having Taylor's name on Senate Bill 4.
“We know that Senate Bill 4 was passed in honor of Breonna Taylor and it was signed into law today in honor of Breonna Taylor,” Baker said. “We would not have had a Senate Bill 4 was it not for the tragic murder of Breonna Taylor.”
Beshear also signed two bills designed to spark transformation in west Louisville.
House Bill 321, the West End Opportunity Partnership, creates a special tax increment financing district in west Louisville allowing some tax revenue to be used for economic development projects.
The city and state are kicking in the first $30 million. A board made up primarily of west Louisville residents will decide how the money is spent.
“This legislation will create $30 million of initial investment in the west end,” Beshear said. “That is a good start to address decades of neglect.”
“As west Louisville goes, so goes the state of Kentucky," Louisville Rep. Pamela Stephenson said. "Because we will prosper."
Beshear also signed Senate Bill 270, which supports Kentucky's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It allows students at Simmons College of Kentucky to receive state tuition grants and expands teacher education programs at Simmons and Kentucky State University. The two schools will also partner to bring more class offerings to west Louisville.
Lawmakers called the trio of new laws transformative but added that there is still a lot more work to do.
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