When a police officer pulls you over, do you have a right to know why?
That question is at the center of a debate over legislation that passed in the Virginia Senate Thursday along party lines.
Under the bill, before a driver is required to show their license and registration during a traffic stop, the officer would need to explain why the stop occurred.
“When people are stopped, and they don’t know the reason why they’re stopped, they often want to know that,” said Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell. “When an officer doesn’t tell them, it creates tension.”
Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin added, “For civil liberties, you have a right to know, if you’re stopped, why you’re stopped.”
Republicans were skeptical of the idea.
“To me, this is just a way for lawyers to get somebody off the hook,” said Republican Sen. John Cosgrove.
Cosgrove argued that it was just going to make life harder for police.
“We keep putting stumbling blocks in the way of law enforcement,” Cosgrove said. “I’ve spoken to law enforcement officers and they think this is ridiculous.”
“I think it’s a very minor bill,” Surovell argued. “Virginia State Police say this is standard procedure for them, so I didn’t think the bill was all that controversial.”
Cosgrove asked whether an officer would need to explain themselves if they, for example, pulled someone over who had just committed an armed robbery.
Surovell said the officer would not need to explain in that case, because an officer would only need to tell a driver the reason for the stop before asking for license and registration.
The bill passed in the Senate with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed. It now heads to the House of Delegates, where it likely faces long odds because Republicans have a majority there.
