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Black activists, Dems blast Wisconsin police reform bills

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Black activists and Democratic lawmakers are blasting the first police reform bills to come out of a racial disparities task force that the Wisconsin Assembly's top Republican put together last year.

Speaker Robin Vos formed the panel following several high-profiling killings or shootings by police last year.

The panel's bills discussed Thursday during a committee hearing include proposals to gather data on no-knock entries, mandate training for officers in schools and create a grant program for body cameras.

Republicans on the Assembly's criminal justice committee praised the task force's leaders for their work.

But Democrats on the committee said the bills wouldn't go far enough. Black Leaders Organizing Communities called the bills “crumbs” during a rally in Milwaukee.