Reform, Shift, and Build Act
Dear LDTC Members:
As you’re undoubtedly aware, Representative John Lewis, the “Conscience of the Congress,” passed away last Friday after devoting his entire adult life to fighting for social justice and racial equality. A son of sharecroppers and an advocate of non-violent resistance, Representative Lewis was a major figure of the civil rights movement and the last surviving speaker from the March on Washington in 1963.
What you may not know is that Mr. Lewis regarded the worldwide demonstrations that followed the May killing of George Floyd as an extension of his life’s work. In observing those protests, he told CBS This Morning in June, “It was very moving, very moving to see hundreds of thousands of people from all over America and around the world take to the streets—to speak up, to speak out, to get into what I call ‘good trouble,’” ending his comments with the words, “There will be no turning back.”
Last month a group of Longmeadow residents responded to the George Floyd killing by forming the Longmeadow Anti-Racist Coalition (LARC), and they have now begun working with Longmeadow school administrators to address systemic racism in our schools and our community. Please contact LDTC Executive Committee member Erin Freed (ebfreed15@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining their efforts.
On a statewide level, there has been an equally powerful response. On July 14, 2020, the Massachusetts Senate passed the “Reform, Shift, and Build Act” that bans choke holds, reforms qualified immunity doctrines for excessive use of force, expands community-based and non-police solutions to crisis responses, bans racial profiling, and requires new training requirements on de-escalation and the history of racism.
As Senator Lesser stated in a recent mailing, “If enacted into law, this comprehensive reform will give Massachusetts one of the most progressive, community-oriented policing and crime-prevention systems in the country.”
Obviously, Representative Lewis would be elated that the Massachusetts Senate passed such worthy legislation—but he would also be aware of the need for the Massachusetts House to engage in a similar effort in order for this bill—or a version of it—to be passed into law.
In response to the Senate’s “first step” in this legislative process, please consider the following actions:
Call or write Senator Lesser to thank him for his work on this issue (eric.lesser@ma.senate.gov)
Call or write Representative Ashe (brian.ashe@ma.house.gov) to encourage him to advance this effort on the House side.
As Senator Lesser also noted regarding the Senate bill’s passage, “Debate was lengthy, but our conversations remained highly substantive, respectful, and in keeping with our Commonwealth’s best traditions of reflection, accountability, and self-improvement.”
I can think of no greater honor to the memory of John Lewis, George Floyd, and others than to have Massachusetts pass legislation that will prevent the use of racial profiling and excessive force as part of the policing process. Please lend your support to this much-needed reform.
Sincerely,
Michele Marantz, Chair