LANSING — Senate Bills 382 and 383 were introduced yesterday to override local control and enable a culture of racial and ethnic profiling. Similar to House Bills 4083 and 4090 introduced earlier this year, the Senate legislation would prohibit local municipalities from passing and enforcing “welcoming city” policies, undermining the trust between members of these communities and local law enforcement and leading these cities to become less safe. In response, state Rep. Alex Garza (D-Taylor), chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus, issued the following statement on behalf of the Latino Caucus:
“We are living in an age where people have been so blinded by false-flag language that in circumstances like these elected officials are willing to close their eyes to obvious facts in an effort to gain favor with fringe special interest groups. The truth is that overwhelming evidence shows that welcoming policies lead to safer families and stronger economies, and at the end of the day that is what we all want for Michigan. Our state is better than this, and Michiganders — of all backgrounds — deserve better than a Legislature that would jeopardize their safety or economic security in pursuit of unjust policies.
“Our neighbors sent us to Lansing to tackle the serious issues facing Michigan families — making our roads safer, our paychecks stronger and our students better equipped for the jobs of the future. Those are Michigan’s priorities and that’s what the Legislature should be focusing on.”
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