TED CRUZ’S BILL WOULD PUNISH LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO FAIL TO PROTECT CITIZENS AGAINST RIOTERS:

The bill would hold state and local officials liable when they abdicate their legal duty to protect the public in cases where death, serious bodily harm or significant property damage have occurred.

Specifically, my bill would allow for treble damages, meaning a plaintiff could be awarded triple the amount of the damage done to his property. It would also establish a federal cause of action, which would empower victims of violence in autonomous zones to take legal action against senior local or state lawmakers who have tolerated or encouraged radicals to take over the area. Finally, when politicians refuse to defend innocent Americans, this bill would remove or limit federal funding under grant programs that supply important law-enforcement and crime-prevention programs for local governments.

As public officials, our first responsibility is to protect our fellow citizens. Any politician who willfully ignores that sacred duty is in gross violation of that oath. It’s time to restore civility, hold government officials accountable, and take our cities back.

Seems like a sensible piece of civil rights legislation, consistent with our long tradition of federal protection for citizens where state and local officials deprive them of their rights, or stand by while others do.