The Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee last week approved a series of measures giving law enforcement additional powers over objections from Democrats about potential abuse.
The three bills passed on Wednesday allow police and sheriffs’ deputies to confiscate vehicles of those who drive without their driver’s licenses, require residents to divulge personal information while being questioned by law enforcement and allows law enforcement to detain people for up to 24 hours on charges of resisting arrest.
Democrats expressed concerns with all the measures.
“You got some hot-headed officers out there, and they demand too much for being a police officer in blue,” said Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville.