LANSING — Two bills to usurp local control and invite racial and ethnic profiling passed the House Military, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee yesterday 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. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) issued the following statement:
“The individuals pushing this legislation want us to believe these policies are in our community’s best interest, but that could not be further from the truth. We have seen the negative effects similar policies have had around the country — further eroding the fragile trust between immigrant populations and local law enforcement and disincentivizing community members from coming forward when they witness or are the victims of a crime. That makes us all less safe in the long run. If public safety is truly the goal, we need to work to foster an environment characterized by cooperation and togetherness, not finger-pointing and division.”
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