California Bill To Bar Police Who Express Religious Or Conservative Views

A new proposed legislation in California is discriminating against police officers who express religious or conservative views.

Titled California Law Enforcement Accountability Reform Act (CLEAR Act) and introduced by the state's Assembly Member Ash Kalra, the proposed legislation aims to quash the "infiltration of extremists in our law enforcement agencies" and would require a background check for police officers who have "exchanged racist and homophobic messages," The Federalist reported.

The California Law Enforcement Accountability Reform Act or AB 655 is believed to be important to prevent "the apparent cooperation, participation, and support of some law enforcement" in the January 6 attack at Capitol Hill.

The proposed California bill defines hate speech as that which "[advocates] or [supports] the denial of constitutional rights of, the genocide of, or violence towards, any group of persons based upon race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability."

Pacific Justice Institute Senior Staff Attorney Matthew McReynolds was the first to oppose the language of the proposed California bill for its definition of "hate speech." McReynolds said the definition was broad and purposefully arbitrary, paving the way for some to classify Christians and conservatives as propagators of "hate speech," especially on topics such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

McReynolds argued that the proposed California bill that targets police who express religious or conservative views will most likely affect members of the Muslim community, whose faith is also opposed to homosexuality.

McReynolds accused the authors of the proposed California bill of diverting their attention from police gangs to "inexplicable, unwarranted, and unprecedented" targeting of "peaceable, conscientious officers who happen to hold conservative political and religious views." He argued that the proposed California bill that will bar police who express religious or conservative views was such a blatant move to condemn and quash "freedom of association and freedom to choose minority viewpoints."

Director of Capitol Engagement with the California Family Council Greg Burt also spoke out to oppose the proposed California bill, questioning whether the law should discriminate against qualified police personnel who do not share the same views as the Surpreme Court on topics such as gender identity and abortion.

Burt argued that the proposed legislation is "a blatantly unconstitutional violation of religious liberty and freedom of speech. It is also a tyrannical abuse of power from a politician seeking to ruin the lives of those he disagrees with."

The news of the proposed California bill to bar police who express religious or conservative views comes alongside the announcement of the state's black Democratic Senator Steven Bradford's new law that decertifies misbehaving police officers, Associated Press reported.

According to the report, Sen. Bradford's proposed California bill will not only investigate police officers but will revoke their eligibility if they are found using excessive force, committing sexual assault, making a false arrest or report, or participating in a law enforcement gang.

The California Police Chiefs Association and police unions have expressed opposition to the bill, accusing him of "making a political point instead of creating good policy."