New laws governing the use of no-knock warrants are on the books in the commonwealth, following a signing ceremony at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisville.
The death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of Louisville police in 2020 marked a turning point in the racial justice movement, making Kentucky a new focal point in the widespread protests.
"That pain wasn't just felt in Louisville. It was felt in my hometown of Lexington, across the nation, and across the world," Lexington Democratic Sen. Reggie Thomas said at Friday's bill signing, with Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, in the audience. "We were asked repeatedly to say her name. I think we heard her name. But I hope with the signing of this legislation today that there will be no other names ever here in Kentucky that we'll have to say or hear again."
The bill stops short of a full ban on the type of no-knock warrant involved in the Taylor case, but it creates new steps police must go through to obtain one, including proving that there is "clear and convincing evidence" of a violent crime.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed the no-knock bill alongside other legislation aimed at improving the economic outlook in Louisville's west end and supporting teacher prep programs at historically black colleges.