Education Reform Now (ERN) has today endorsed two bills under consideration this week by the U.S. Congress: the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (H.R. 7120), introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus under the leadership of Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA); and the DC Statehood Bill (H.R. 5803), introduced in January by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton—the District’s non-voting House member.
ERN urges Congress to pass both the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 and the D.C. Statehood Bill this week.
Justice in Policing Act of 2020
ERN applauds the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 as a first step toward eradicating the misconduct, racism, and overreliance on policing in communities across our country, and toward a multi-sector approach to reforming school discipline practices, which have a disparate impact on Black and Brown students.
“The racism that permits the state-sanctioned murder of Black men and women is the same racism that fuels the school-to-prison pipeline and denies equitable opportunity to Black and Brown children,” said ERN National President Shavar Jeffries. “It will take more than legislation to dismantle deep-seated racism within these systems and within our nation, but the Justice in Policing Act is a move in the right direction by introducing comprehensive reforms and bringing long-overdue accountability to law enforcement.”
D.C. Statehood Bill
ERN stands behind Washington, D.C.’s quest to obtain statehood, and unequivocally believes that the District deserves to—and should—have full voting power and representation within the U.S. Congress.
“For too long, the residents of D.C. have been denied the full rights and privileges of American citizenship, and the D.C. Statehood Bill is an important and historic step toward rectifying that injustice,” said Ramin Taheri, ERN DC Director and Washington, D.C., resident.
“Statehood will—finally—give DC’s residents a say in the federal policies affecting their lives and livelihoods, on issues ranging from education to housing to taxation. The time has come for Washington, D.C. to be heard,” said Ramin.
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