In bipartisan unity, police reform bills advance in Oregon

SALEM, Oregon (AP) — Republicans and Democrats on the Oregon House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved almost a dozen bills on police reform, a show of bipartisan unity in a Legislature that has been divided along party lines. The bills involve regulating use of tear gas, requiring a publicly accessible database that names officers disciplined for misconduct, and limiting arbitrators’ decisions on officers’ misconduct cases. Gov. Kate Brown congratulated the committee for pushing forward so many reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd last May in Minneapolis. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said the package of bills can transform police work, and how officers are perceived.