( - promoted by Wabi-Sabi)
It has been a very busy legislative session on the civil liberties front. As of the 50th day of the session (when bills must make it out of their chamber of origin) ACLU of WV can announce that a few good bills are still alive while other bad pieces of legislation have perished. We will have a more conclusive update on the whole legislature at a later date. However, what is un-arguably one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation I have ever seen during my tenure is still breathing and the progressive community must help to defeat it. House Bill 4188, also known as the "Anti-Criminal Street Gang Act" will undoubtedly increase an already serious racial profiling problem we know exists in West Virginia. And let's be clear, when I say "we know racial profiling exists," it is because a study of over 300,000 traffic stops conducted over 18 months showed that minority drivers were one-and-a-half more times likely to be stopped on West Virginia roads and, once stopped, two-and-a-half times more likely to have their vehicles searched. The real kicker is ultimately, minority drivers were less likely to have any illegal contraband on them then their white counterparts. And that is just the statewide average. On a local level, depending on which departments you isolate, the problem gets much worse and that is why this bill must be stopped. The legislation gives very broad powers to law enforcement to stop or question individuals hanging out in groups of three or more for nothing more that the clothes they are wearing or anything else law enforcement deems to be "gang related." This is the legislative equivalent of throwing gasoline on a brush fire. What you can do: First, call Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler at 304.357.7880 and urge him NOT to run HB 4188. You can be specific by asking that he "Keep it off of the agenda." Second, because I know this blog has a substantial Eastern Panhandle readership, call Senator Herb Snyder (D-Jefferson) and politely request he NOT support HB 4188. His Capitol Phone # is 304.357.7957 Thank you for your activism. |
