A bill proposed in California would ban or fire police officers from serving if they are affiliated with a hate group, but critics say it would also ban officers who have conservative or religious social views.
"I think everyone can agree that no one wants cops serving us who belong to violent hate groups, but this bill goes far beyond that. It actually goes after individual cops who simply have conservative social views on issues like marriage," California Family Council Director of Capitol Engagement Greg Burt said. "I think there’s a mistake in assuming that Christians who have conservative views on moral issues are going to be a threat to folks who disagree with them."
California State Assembly Member Ash Kalra introduced Assembly Bill 655, also known as the California Law Enforcement Accountability Reform Act, last month. It would require background checks for law enforcement applicants and disqualify them if they are associated with a hate group or used hate speech.
The bill defines hate speech as “advocating or supporting the denial of constitutional rights of, the genocide of, or violence towards, any group of persons based upon race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.”
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Critics of the bill say the definition is too broad and could label conservative and religious people to be classified as hateful.
“Under the guise of addressing police gangs, the bill at the same time launches an inexplicable, unwarranted, and unprecedented attack on peaceable, conscientious officers who happen to hold conservative political and religious views,” Pacific Justice Institute Senior Staff Attorney Matthew McReynolds wrote last week of the bill. “Indeed, this is one of the most undisguised and appalling attempts we have ever seen, in more than 20 years of monitoring such legislation, on the freedom of association and freedom to choose minority viewpoints.”
Greg Burt, Director of Capitol Engagement with the California Family Council, asked, “Should the state now ban from public service qualified, fair-minded people who happen to hold religious or political views that conflict with controversial Supreme Court decisions on marriage and abortion?”
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional violation of religious liberty and freedom of speech. It is also a tyrannical abuse of power from a politician seeking to ruin the lives of those he disagrees with,” he said.
Kalra, however, argues that people “have a constitutional right to have racist and bigoted views” but not “a constitutional right to be a police officer.”
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"The role and responsibility of peace officers is so important for a community healing — for a community’s safety — and the people in the community don’t feel that those that are entrusted with that responsibility look at them in a way that’s unbiased. That undermines our entire public safety system," Kalra said.
The bill will be heard by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 6.
