Senator Linda Lopez, Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero, and Representative Javier Martinez Request That Governor Lujan Grisham Include Institutional Racism Bill on Call for Special Session
For Immediate Release:
Contact:
Senate
Democrats
Chris Nordstrum
(415) 601-1992
Chris.Nordstrum@nmlegis.gov
House
Democrats
Daniel Marzec
(505) 398-0810
Daniel.Marzec@nmlegis.gov
June 5, 2020
SANTA FE — Today, New Mexico State Senator Linda Lopez (D-Albuquerque), Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque) and Representative Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) requested in a letter to Governor Lujan Grisham that she include legislation to address institutional racism on her call for the upcoming special legislative session, scheduled to begin June 18.
The measure, if passed and signed into law, would require state agencies and groups receiving state funding, to develop policies that decrease institutional racism, and require state agencies to carry out statewide evaluations of race and gender gaps in hiring, promotion and pay. They would then be required to develop plans to address any discrepancies found, as well as provide anti-racism training to employees.
A similar bill was passed in 2017 before being vetoed by then-Governor Susana Martinez. Governor Lujan Grisham did include a message during the regular 2020 session for the legislation (SB90, “Policies to Decrease Institutional Racism”), but the session ended before the bill could be brought to a vote.
Speaking on the bill, Senator Lopez stated, “Institutional racism is real. We see it and experience it every day across New Mexico. It exists in our law enforcement agency policies, training, and response methods. It affects the quality of education our children receive, access to housing and quality food, criminal justice and the health and well-being of all our communities of color. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all the lives lost before them serve as tragic reminders of a badly broken system. We must also recognize that institutional racism is not about single acts of hatred or discrimination. It is a deep-rooted bias built in to policies, legislation, laws and systems in both the public and private sectors. By bringing it to light with a bill like this we can finally begin to take the necessary steps to address it head-on.”
“The murder of George Floyd by those sworn to protect and serve has once again awoken our nation as a whole to the all-too-real brutality and unfair treatment with which our nation’s Black, Brown, and communities of color endure every single day” said Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque). “In the past ten days, we have seen these same communities rise up and say, “enough!” Enough of the violence. Enough of the oppression. And enough of the conditions which suppress opportunity because of institutionalized racism. Now is the time to stop this systemic oppression, and allow our communities to flourish and reach their true potential. And that begins with the passage of legislation that recognizes institutional racism’s existence, measures its impact, and forces our institutions to finally deal with it.”
“This isn’t only about a few racist cops. This is about a system that is inherently racist” said Representative Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque). “We have an entire system built on genocide and slavery. This is the historical reality we as a nation and as a people are still dealing with today. We cannot snap a finger and expect the system to change – not after 400 years of overt and institutionalized racism. But it does start with deep dialogue, organized and intentional protests, long-term mobilization and legislation such as this bill that recognizes that the system was designed to oppress, and begins to dismantle the mechanisms with which it does so.”
Link to Letter:
http://www.nmsenate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/June5LetterToGov.pdf
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