Virginia House of Delegates passes budget with funding for police reforms

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – The Virginia House of Delegates has approved a budget that includes funding for a host of criminal justice and police reforms amid national unrest over racial injustice and police brutality.

The House spending plan approved Tuesday allocates $28.4 million for reforms including legislation to make it easier to decertify officers who commit misconduct.

The reform package also allows the state attorney general to investigate law enforcement agencies for patterns of unconstitutional practices.

It also establishes an alert system to dispatch mental health providers along with police to help stabilize people in crisis situations.

Republicans said the spending plan focused too heavily on criminal justice reforms and was “anti-law enforcement.”

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