Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives took historic action. I joined more than 200 of my colleagues in supporting the introduction of the Justice in Policing Act. This legislation is a comprehensive proposal that begins the work of overturning centuries old, systemic racism and prejudice that has remained in American society. It is a clear statement against the ingrained prejudice of our institutions that affects all people of color. Americans of all ages, races, and backgrounds have come together and taken a stand, and I am standing with you as we uproot injustice and create lasting structural change.
The events of these few couple weeks have shaken us all to our core and have sent a shockwave throughout the nation. We are a nation in pain. Pain because we have been vividly confronted with injustice and racism that continues to permeate our society. The horrifying image of George Floyd’s last breath has sent a searing cut deep into the American soul, and our communities across the country have sent a clear message back to the nation that enough is enough. Every day, there is a pervasive passive refusal to acknowledge the reality of the system we live in, and again and again we see the consequences of our inaction. Those who violate the most basic rights of the people they are trusted to serve must be brought to justice. The rest of us cannot continue to resign ourselves to complicity in a reality that systematically oppresses our black communities. That is the start of a journey in the right direction.
Right now, words are truly not enough to express the feelings that we all have. As we continue to live through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and crisis, we need to come together to support each other through this time of intense pain. Sacramento’s strength is in its unwavering dedication to each other, and we must together – all of us – demand the accountability to create lasting change for a better tomorrow.
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING
The movement we’re taking part in is born out of decades of policing practices that have institutionalized excessive force as the norm when confronting black communities. The harrowing truth is that the murder of George Floyd, while in police custody, is only one instance of a much larger systemic issue of racial discrimination and injustice. I know that many members of the Sacramento community have had to mourn the death of too many, like Stephon Clark, in our city. It’s time to call this violence out for what it is and enact comprehensive legislation that stops the militarization of police forces and creates a new system of accountability in law enforcement agencies.
This week, I cosponsored the Justice in Policing Act, a sweeping proposal to combat racism against all people of color in our country’s law enforcement. Through this legislation, we are taking federal, nationwide steps to hold police accountable, end racial profiling, change the culture of law enforcement, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing racism and bias to help save lives.
The Justice in Policing Act would:
- Remove barriers to prosecuting police misconduct and recover damages from officers who have violated civilians’ rights, including by ending qualified immunity for law enforcement;
- De-militarize the police by limiting the transfer of military weaponry to state and local police departments;
- Combat police brutality, including by requiring body and dashboard cameras, banning chokeholds, ending the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases and enacting steps to end racial profiling;
- Step up pressure on the Justice Department to address systemic racial discrimination by law enforcement; and
- Finally make lynching a federal hate crime, as the House did in passing H.R. 35 earlier this year.
A detailed summary of the bill can be found here.
Additionally, I have also:
- Cosponsored H.R.125, the Police Training and Independent Review Act to provide federal funding for law enforcement trainees to receive sensitivity training on racial bias and diversity. This bill would also adopt state laws requiring independent investigations and prosecutions of law enforcement officers.
- Cosponsored H.R.1714, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act to prevent the transfer of weapons inappropriate for local policing and require precincts to certify that they can account for all military weapons and equipment under the program.
- Cosponsored H.Res.988, a Congressional Resolution that condemns police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive and militarized use of force.
- Cosponsored H.R.7100, the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act to provide incentives for local police organizations to adopt performance-based standards to ensure that incidents of misconduct will be minimized through management and training protocols and properly investigated, should they occur.
- Cosponsored H.R.1636, the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act to establish a bipartisan commission within the United States Commission on Civil Rights’ office to examine the social disparities that disproportionately affect black men and boys in America. This new commission would recommend policies and practices to improve current government programs.
- Requested information from U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr regarding the use of unmarked federal law enforcement officers against protesters.
- Requested that DOJ Protect Protesters from Surveillance by calling on federal agencies to stop conducting mass-surveillance on peaceful protesters across the U.S.
I am continuing to have conversations at all levels of government in order to fully and properly address these issues. As residents of Sacramento, your health and safety is my first and foremost priority, and I will continue to support federal legislation that I see benefitting the region and creating a more equal and just society.
Stay well and keep healthy!
– Doris Matsui –
