Sen. Rand Paul talks with reporters on May 13. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced a bill on Thursday that would prohibit federal law enforcement and local police that receive federal funding from entering homes without warning through a "no-knock" warrant, which was reportedly obtained by the officers that shot Louisville resident Breonna Taylor in her home on March 13.
Why it matters: In the wake of nationwide protests against the killing of George Floyd, there's now a bipartisan consensus that police reform is necessary.
- Senate Republicans led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are planning a package that would require states to provide data on the use of no-knock warrants, but Paul's proposal goes even further.
- House Democrats, meanwhile, have proposed their own bill that would reform police training, make lynching a federal crime, and ban chokeholds and the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases.
The backdrop: Police who entered Taylor's home were reportedly investigating two men they believed to be selling drugs out of a house far from her house, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. They used a battering ram to break down her door and shot Taylor at least eight times after her boyfriend fired his gun at an officer in self-defense.
What he's saying: “After talking with Breonna Taylor’s family, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants. This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States,” Paul said.
Go deeper: Breonna Taylor police report lists injuries as "none," as detective reassigned