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Va. police reform advocates frustrated by bill’s defeat

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia has made headlines in recent months for criminal justice reform measures, but advocates say more needs to be done. They are disappointed lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly recently killed proposals to reduce qualified immunity protections for police officers.

Qualified immunity shields government officials from civil liability while performing duties in their line of work as long as their actions don’t violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.

A House bill would have given citizens the power to pursue damages in state civil lawsuits where their rights were violated by a law enforcement officer. The bill also placed a cap on an individual officer’s liability.

Completing the FAFSA: Everything you should know

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opens by Dec. 31, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college. Some states now make completing the FAFSA a high school graduation requirement. The U.S. Department of Education awarded about $111.6 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds in fiscal year 2022, according to the most recent Federal Student Aid annual report. Those federal funds will assist roughly 9.8 million students in completing their education.
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