Senate Government Operations: PASS S.281 out of Committee as a FUNDED Independent Commission

All,

Please ask Senate Government Operations to pass S.281 out of Committee as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Systemic Racism Mitigation Commission.  Senate Government Operations has had S.281 since January 3rd“  Now is not the time for analysis paralysis on forming a commission to address systemic racism mitigation.

Senate Government Operations continues to flirt with ideas like placing the commission under the Governor’s Office; in the Governor’s Office as an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; in the Human Rights Commission’s Office.  None of these options will give the Commission the independence autonomy required to focus on SYSTEMIC RACISM MITIGATION.  There will be another hearing on Wednesday, February 21st at 2:00 PM.  Come out with us to ask that this vital legislation be voted out of Committee.

1. Please pass this call to action to EVERYONE on your mailing list.
2. SHOW UP on Wednesday! and bring your #racialjusticereformvt placard
3. Please call the Statehouse and leave a message for Senators, White, Clarkson, Ayer, Pearson, Balint and Ashe (with S.281 in the subject line) asking that the committee “use the amendment offered by the coalition and supported and vote S.281 out of Senate Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” 802.828.2228
4. Please send an email to this address vermont-senate-government-operations@googlegroups.com requesting the bill be “use the amendment offered by the coalition and supported by the sponsor AND vote S.281 out of Senate Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” (please place S.281 in the subject line)

Here is the bill as introduced and the proposed amendment that the coalition and bill sponsor are putting forward.  Here is the Coalition systemic racism research document and again the  Q&A  to S.281 to verse you in the bill background and details.

House Government Operations: PASS H.868 out of
Committee as a FUNDED Independent Commission 

The House Judiciary, on the advice of Representative Christie chose NOT TO TAKE UP H.868.  Their reasoning was that they wanted to “wait and see what comes over from the Senate”, with crossover less than a month away and the real potential of the bill returning to House Judiciary for additional work!  The bill is now in House Government Operations.   This bill (also submitted by the Racial Justice Reform Coalition, largely reflects our intent but our last proposed revisions missed the deadline.  We’d like to discuss and debate these proposed amendments but we can’t do it unless the bill is taken up.   Help us get the bill out of Committee as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission! 

1. Please pass this call to action to EVERYONE on your mailing list.
2. Please call the Statehouse and leave a message for Representatives, Townsend, LaClair, Kitzmiller, Brumsted, Devereux, Gannon, Gardner, Harrison, Lewis, Toleno, Weed, Korwinski and Speaker Johnson to “take up, amend and vote H.868 out of House Judiciary as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” 802.828.2228
3. Please send an email to this address vermont-house-government-operations@googlegroups.com requesting them to “take up, amend and vote H.868 out of House Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission”( please place H.868 in the subject line).

Here is the Coalition systemic racism research document and the  Q&A on H.868 to verse you in the bill background and details.

Please print this placard and bring it with you on the day of testimony

 

 

Great News,

We have an exciting week coming up!

First Senate Government Operations will be taking testimony on the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy, Act 54 and S.281 on Wednesday, January 24th.  Testimony will be in the Ethan Allen Room at the Statehouse and will start right after the Senate returns from the floor.

Here is more on the Testimony Day  https://www.facebook.com/events/810182899153124/

Print this placard and bring it with you on the day of testimony

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

After the Floor – Ethan Allen Room          Fair and Impartial Policing Model Policy

• Rick Gauthier, Director, VT Criminal Justice Training Council
• Jay Diaz, Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union – Vermont
• Will Lambek, Migrant Justice
• Enrique Balcazar, Farm worker, Migrant Justice
• Keith Clark, Sheriff, Windham County Sheriff’s Department

2:30          Act 54

An act relating to the Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel

• T.J. Donovan, Vermont Attorney General
• Mark Hughes, Justice for All
• Karen L. Richards, Executive Director, Vermont Human Rights Commission
• David Scherr, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General’s Office

3:30          S. 281 – An act relating to the Systemic Racism Mitigation Oversight and Equity Review Board

Walkthrough

• Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council
• Curtiss Reed, Executive Director, Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity
• Diana Wahle, Community Equity Collaborative
• Mark Hughes, Justice for All

Secondly, don’t forget to come out for Systemic Racism Awareness Legislative Day!  Here you learn more about the issue and how it impacts us in Vermont. We’ll also offer an overview of the S.281 and help you with some tools that will be helpful in discussing it.

Find out more and sign up here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1582993471821380/

As aways here are some things that you can DO:

• Offer testimony on on the 24th (personally or written)
• Show up at the Legislative Day on the 25th
• Communicate this call to action to your organizational network
• Send note to Senate Government Operations Committee requesting that they vote the bill out of Committee  vermont-senate-government-operations@googlegroups.com
• Call state house and ask them to pass a message to Senators, White, Balint and Ashe, asking them to pass the bill out of committee now. Here is the number:  828.2228

Forward Together!

 

 

#RacialJusticeReformVT

 

Addressing Systemic Racism in Vermont

All,

Last session we passed a historic bill that (H.308, Act 54) that directed additional analysis on an issue that most all of us already knew existed. We spoke of it in terms in which people are generally more comfortable.  Racial disparities.  The truth is that instead of discussing the product of this national sin, we must move to discussing and addressing it at its root. Systemic racism.

Here is the report that was directed by Act 54, released last month by the Attorney General and Human Rights Commission.  The Disparities Panel Report is forthcoming.

Systemic racism is not simply about racism.  It has also historically been used to create wealth and power..and poverty, the vast majority which in number has been assigned to white people.  It has also been used to justify and sustain war.

S.281  will establish a commission that has the responsibility of managing an ongoing mitigation program!  After the bill is taken up, we will have an opportunity to offer amendments.  Go here to see what the Coalition has drafted as proposed language for the bill.

You might ask how you can help.  Here are some ways:

1)   Communicate this call to action to your organizational network

2)   Send note to Senate Government Operations Committee requesting that they take up the bill: vermont-senate-government-operations@googlegroups.com

3)   Call state house and ask them to pass a message to Senators, White, Balint and Ashe, asking them to take this important bill up now. Here is the number:  828.2228.

#racialjusticereformvt

“I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods… of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

Dr King, Letter from Birmingham

 

All,

Systemic racism continues to be at the heart our social and political processes and policies.  The issue was acknowledged through the enactment of legislation that asked for advice through a panel, the Human Rights Commission and the Attorney General (H.308).  We must now create the Commission that has the authority to take action necessary to mitigate systemic racism in Vermont.

S.281 is the bill being put forth to do so.  I have asked the Senate Judiciary Chair to take up the bill and informed the sponsor of our desire to modify the bill with our proposed language.

Now is the time to call for the Senate Judiciary to take up this bill.  Here is what you can do to make it happen:

1)   Communicate this call to action to your organizational network

2)   Send note to Senate Government Operations Committee requesting that they take up the bill: vermont-senate-government-operations@googlegroups.com

3)   Call state house and ask your Senator and Chairman Sears to act now. Here is the number:  828.2228

Go here to see what the Coalition has drafted as proposed language for the bill.

Coalition background research

We will be unable to truly address any of our social issues at their core, unless we address systemic racism.

Now is the time!

Racial Justice Reform Coalition

#racialjusticereformvt