(Richmond, VA)(AP) – A special session of Virginia’s legislative body is scheduled for August.  The session was originally put on the calendar solely for the purpose of discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the states budget, but a new topic of discussion looks to be added.  Virginia lawmakers are vowing to take strong action on systemic racism and police reforms.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that state lawmakers are looking at banning choke holds, boosting police training in excessive use of force, mandating citizen review boards to boost oversight of police misconduct, and rethinking the presence of police in schools.

Protests have spread across Virginia following the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Marchers have called for sweeping criminal justice reforms, including an end to police brutality and racial injustice.

“Black lives have always mattered to many of us, and we have been trying to deal with this issue for many, many, many years,” said Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton. “It’s unfortunate that it has taken these high-profile murders to get even more people energized to want to take some policy initiative.”

While members of the Republican leadership in Richmond have rejected calls for the defunding of police departments by some protesters they also are open to the discussion of some types of reform.

“Republican senators will be promoting legislation to improve training, increase minority recruitment and hiring, ban the type of lethal restraint that cost Mr. Floyd his life,” caucus spokesman Jeff Ryer said.

Ryer said the caucus will also promote legislation to protect police officers who are assaulted during a state of emergency, and an amendment to the state’s new collective bargaining law to diminish a union’s power to protect officers “who don’t meet our high standards.”