DES MOINES, Iowa - Rioting will become a felony and officers will have greater legal protections under a plan moving closer to becoming law in Iowa.
The state Senate has passed what's been nicknamed the Back the Blue bill, which will head to the House in what's now the third week lawmakers are working overtime this year.
The Republican majority says the plan will give officers needed protection after some racial justice protests turned violent last year.
Democrats opposed the bill, pointing to a nonpartisan analysis showing Iowans convicted of rioting are mostly black people.
Seventy one percent of people sent to jail for rioting in 2020 were black, while black people account for 4.1 percent of Iowa's population, according to the analysis from the non-partisan Iowa Legislative Services Agency.
In addition to rioting becoming a Class D Felony from a misdemeanor, penalties for blocking roadways would be increased. Further, not stopping for an unmarked police car would become a crime.
The additional protections for officers will shield them from certain lawsuits in what's referred to as Qualified Immunity.
Police officers, prosecutors and judges could also join a program to make their addresses confidential.
In addition. officers could not be fired simply for being included on a list (known as a Brady list) that tracks misconduct.
The bill does not include priorities of Governor Kim Reynolds “Back the Blue Act” proposal, which would ban police from racial profiling and require them to collect of race data from traffic stops.
The bill passed the Senate 28-17 Monday. It will head back to the House, which had previously passed the bill before changes made in its current form by the Senate.