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Senate passes bill banning ski‑mask policing after heated debate over ICE raids and officer safety
Summary
After hours of debate and a successful motion to reconsider, the Senate approved SB 627, a measure that generally prohibits law enforcement from covering their faces during operations, with exemptions for undercover and hazardous‑operations uses. Supporters said the change is needed to restore trust after mask‑clad immigration enforcement actions;
The California Senate voted to approve SB 627, the “No Secret Police Act,” after extended floor debate and a motion to reconsider that returned the bill to the floor for a final vote.
Senator Scott Wiener, the bill’s sponsor, said the bill responds to “creeping fascism” and to widely reported instances in which armed people wearing full face coverings carried out immigration enforcement and other raids, creating fear and distrust in communities. “If you can’t tell the difference between a law enforcement officer and the guy robbing the liquor store, we have a problem,” Wiener said (transcript excerpt).
Supporters framed the measure as a limited, safety‑and‑transparency law. The measure bans “extreme” face coverings for law enforcement in public interactions unless a narrow exemption applies — such as undercover operations, SWAT actions, medical/occupational health needs, weather…
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