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, state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) issued the following statement:
“Bills that prevent local governments from implementing the policies that make sense to them and their communities do nothing to make our families safer. Evidence clearly shows that welcoming policies improve local economies, strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the people they’re serving, and attract and retain the kind of businesses and talent we need to keep Michigan growing. We cannot allow our state to be held back from success and opportunity because of the rhetoric behind policies like this, which have undoubtedly contributed to the rise in violence and hate crimes we’ve seen throughout the world, most recently in New Zealand. As a state we are capable of better, and when we hold ourselves to that higher standard, we make our families safer in the process.”
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