Republican State Senator: Poor, "Colored" People Are More Likely to Commit Crimes - Slog - The Stranger

4.3.15

Republican State Senator: Poor, "Colored" People Are More Likely to Commit Crimes - Slog - The Stranger: That's it. Nothing too confusing and scary, and nothing too unheard of, either—Oregon and a handful of other states are already using racial impact statements. But on Thursday, certain Republican lawmakers in Olympia seemed to have no idea what racial impact statements are. At the same time, they were strangely quick to assume what they might be. For example, Republican lawmakers worried the impact statements would give minorities a get-out-of-jail-free card or disregard "sociology books"—when, in fact, racial impact statements would make our laws even more data-driven they are now.

"I guess I don't understand," said Senator Barbara Bailey of Skagit County during the hearing, "why our laws that we already have don't already have the oversight of this particular situation that you're talking about. So are you indicating that we would then change our laws, that if you are someone of color and you commit a crime, that your sentence would be different than someone who is not of color?"