HB 1076 Vote Explainer: Obstructing Law Enforcement with a Vehicle

Quick Take

HB 1076 was created in the wake of Renee Good's death in Minnesota. Georgia House Republicans created a bill that would allow law enforcement to criminalize people if their car was used obstruct law enforcement. It passed the House on party lines, but was not taken up by the Senate.

Why It Matters

The world watched as Renee Good was gunned down after being given conflicting orders from two different officers. It was a confusing situation for everyone involved, but it does not warrant the creation of new crimes that can potentially be abused by rogue law enforcement officers.

Key Facts

HB 1079:

• Creates a state crime if a moving or stationary vehicle is used to obstruct any law enforcement officer, including federal agents.
• Violating this new law would be a felony offense, with a punishment of up to 5 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

My Perspective

I voted against this bill because I found the language to be too open to interpretation and the punishment to be excessive, especially given the fact that Obstruction of Justice is already a crime in the state of Georgia.

This bill came across as a purely political response to ICE activity in Minnesota, with House Republicans trying to show support for ICE and Democrats largely against it. While the bill does explicitly say that an offender has to "knowingly" obstruct an officer, there were concerns from attorneys that proving what someone did or did not know at a given time is difficult and the law could be easily abused.

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