Bowling Green Today

U.S. Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Morgan McGarvey are set to reintroduce the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, a bill aimed at prohibiting no-knock warrants in the United States. Senator Cory Booker is an original cosponsor of the Senate version of the legislation.

Dr. Paul expressed his support for the bill, stating, “It’s long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants. This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States, and I’m pleased to work with Rep. McGarvey and Sen. Booker on this important legislation.”

Rep. McGarvey emphasized the importance of the legislation, saying, “Louisvillians remember Breonna Taylor and are still grieving the tragedy of her inexcusable killing by police. After Breonna’s death, we passed a ban on no-knock warrants at the state and local level — if we can do this in Kentucky, we can do this nationally. I’m proud to partner with Senators Rand Paul and Cory Booker to move this important bill forward in the House and Senate.”

Senator Booker highlighted the dangers of no-knock entries, stating, “No one should ever experience the horror of being startled from their sleep by police executing a no-knock warrant. Many cities and states, including Louisville, Kentucky where Breonna was fatally shot, have already taken steps to enact legislation prohibiting these unlawful procedures, but we must take action at the federal level.”

The Justice for Breonna Taylor Act is named in memory and honor of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a police raid on her home in March 2020 conducted under the authority of a no-knock warrant. The bill would require law enforcement officers to provide notice of their authority and purpose before executing a warrant, at both the federal and state or local levels.

Dr. Paul had previously introduced the legislation in 2020 and is now working with Rep. McGarvey to continue these efforts on the federal level. Kentucky has already taken steps to limit the use of no-knock warrants, and this bill aims to extend those protections nationwide.

Ahead of their efforts in Washington, D.C., Sen. Paul and Rep. McGarvey held a press conference in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss the importance of the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act and their commitment to criminal justice reform.