Turner pledges support for George Floyd Act

Former Mayor Sylvester Turner, now with his Democratic nomination for Sheila Jackson Lee's U.S. House seat locked up , said he plans to continue the late Houston congresswoman's efforts to reform policing if elected in November.

Catch up quick: Jackson Lee was a strong advocate for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, named after the native Houstonian murdered by Minneapolis police in May 2020.

• The bill seeks to overhaul qualified immunity for police officers, outlaw racial profiling, and establish a national registry of police misconduct to be managed by the U.S. Department of Justice, among other provisions.

Flashback: House Democrats passed versions of the bill in 2020 and 2021 , but their efforts died in the Senate each time. A Senate version of the bill filed in 2020 didn't get a vote.

• Democrats united behind the effort, bolstered by President Biden's continued insistence on its passage .
• Republicans have largely disapproved of the effort, echoing a sentiment from police union leaders wary of the changes, particularly surrounding the country's "qualified immunity" doctrine that shields officers from liability for their actions.

The intrigue: In one of her final official acts, Jackson Lee reintroduced the bill in May as police reform was moving back into the spotlight .

• "Far too many lives have been lost or forever changed due to unacceptable incidents of police brutality throughout our nation," Jackson Lee said then. "It is time for Congress to act now."

What they're saying: "I want to run with it," Turner said of the bill to Harris County Democratic precinct chairs Tuesday before they selected him to replace Jackson Lee on the November ballot.

Context: During his eight years as mayor, Turner supported some police reform efforts but also garnered support from the Houston Police Officers' Union and campaigned on hiring more police officers to patrol communities.

Between the lines: Turner has not indicated whether he would personally sponsor the bill, likely opting to allow more senior members to take the lead.

• The most recent version of the bill filed by Jackson Lee has 155 cosponsors, all Democrats. The two previous House versions of the bill were sponsored by former U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who is now the mayor of Los Angeles.

What's next: The House reconvenes Sept. 12.

• The bill faces an uphill climb this fall with Republicans in the House majority.