The Alabama Senate passed a bill that would require police to record racial data during traffic stops.
It was approved with a 19-7 vote and will now move to the Alabama House of Representatives.
The bill is by state Sen. Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham, who said his bill is intended to prevent targeting of drivers based on race or ethnicity. It would require police to adopt written policies to prohibit racial profiling and for law enforcement agencies to keep records of the race of motorists involved in traffic stops. The data would be submitted annually to the attorney general.
