INDIANAPOLIS – Members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus introduced their 2017 agenda Wednesday that focuses on a series of community issues such as bias crimes and criminal justice reform.
Leaders of the caucus have filed three bills – HB 1066, SB 333 and SB 336 – that “seek to place a bias crime law in state statutes, and enhance penalties against those who commit such crimes.”
IBLC members said they want to make sure their priorities are addressed in a timely fashion to reflect concerns expressed by minority communities across Indiana.
“We believe these goals are easily achievable before we finish our work by the end of April,” said State Rep. Cherrish Pryor. “There is ample evidence to indicate that bias motivated crimes do take place with greater frequency in Indiana, and there is a specific need to demonstrate that these actions will be met with harsh penalties.”
Pryor said the IBLC plans to also work against HB 1036, SB 79 and SB 568 that seek to change the methods of selection of superior court judges in Marion County.
“In the wake of a recent federal court ruling, we now are facing measures – offered under the guise of ‘reform’ – that could effectively prevent minorities from being selected to serve in the Marion County judiciary,” she said. “I have yet to hear a good reason why Marion County should not directly elect their judges. Only Allen, Lake, St. Joseph, Vandenberg, and Marion counties are denied a direct path to elect their judges.”
The IBLC also included issues such Indiana’s pre-k funding and minority health programs in their agenda.
