WASHINGTON, D.C. — Funding police departments across the country continues to be a big issue in the United States.
On Tuesday, President Biden urged congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence like universal background checks. Biden also called on lawmakers to focus on funding the police instead of taking it away. The message to defund the police started growing in 2020 after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.
Governor Larry Hogan released a statement on Twitter about the President's comments. Hogan tweeted, "I’m glad to see that even President Biden is now supporting our efforts to crack down on violent crime and re-fund our police. I urge the legislature to put the politics aside and work with us to finally get these critical proposals done."
Meantime, the governor has his own effort to fund police departments. Back in January, Hogan vowed to expand the 'Refund the Police' initiative. Money would be used to increase crime control, victim protection services and pay raises for state law enforcement.
Hogan is also in support of two bills that have not yet passed during this year's legislative session. The Violent Firearms Offender Act, which has failed before, and the Judicial Transparency Act.