LANSING — Two bills to usurp local control and invite racial and ethnic profiling passed the House Military, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee today along party lines, with all Democrats voting no. House Bills 4083 and 4090 would prohibit local municipalities from passing and enforcing “welcoming cities” policies, weakening trust between communities and local law enforcement, ultimately making communities less safe. In response, Rep. Vanessa Guerra (D-Saginaw) issued the following statement:
“Keeping our families safe is a top priority for all of us, but policies like this that discourage residents from speaking with police will unquestionably lead to an increase in crime and make it more difficult for local law enforcement to do their job. It is unfortunate that we are wasting time and taxpayer dollars on fear-mongering legislation that will divide and endanger our communities. We should be focusing on the serious issues that we were elected to tackle — repairing our roads, ensuring our schools are preparing students for success and moving Michigan’s economy forward.”
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