On Thursday, February 2 the Senate Committee on State Affairs met and voted out of committee ethics reform legislation SB 14 (Van Taylor), and each article within SB 14 filed as SB 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505. The committee also took up SB 4 (Perry) which would prohibit local governments from enacting formal or informal policies that prohibit or discourage police officers from inquiring about the immigration status of lawfully arrested persons or cooperating with federal immigration officials.
This report covers discussions on those bills and includes some of 16 hour testimony on SB 4, as substituted, was voted out favorably7-2 along party lines. Since the Governor declared ethics reforms and banning sanctuary cities as emergency items, both bills can be advanced and debated on the floor in the first 60 days of the 85th Session.
See attached for a copy of the report.
