RICHMOND, Va.: Virginia lawmakers on Tuesday killed legislation that called for eliminating mandatory jail time for assaulting a police officer, a bill that drew heated opposition from Republicans who said it would send the wrong message at a time when law enforcement has come under attack during nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
The bill proposed by Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell passed the Senate last month, but was rejected Tuesday after several Democrats on the House Courts of Justice Committee raised concerns about how certain terms were defined in the bill and whether juveniles should be exempted from the charge.
The bill would have kept the charge as a felony, but would have given a judge or jury discretion to reduce it to a misdemeanor if there was no bodily injury to the officer…