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May 20, 2008
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This should be good news. It could cut down on unintended disparagement of Iowa's minority populations. The 2008 Legislature passed a bill now signed by Governor Culver requiring that "Minority Impact Statements" will be required on major legislation effecting people directly starting with the next General Assembly in January 2009. I am advised by national civil liberties groups that this is the first legislation on the matter in the nation.
Rep. Wayne Ford started pushing for this several years ago after the 2000 Governor's Task Force on the Overrepresentation of African-Americans in prison reported Iowa's failings. It has recently come to light that Iowa is no.1 in the rate of incarceration of black persons based on our population. Iowa also incarcerates women at the 2nd highest rate of any of the states in the Union. This cannot be a source of pride for Iowa.
When Gov. Culver decided early on in his administration that he wanted to do something about it, Rep. Ford, working with a growing group of legislative allies on the matter, pursued and succeeded in getting passage of HF 2393 on Minority Impact Statements. It covers all minority persons, including ethnics and women and persons with disabilities for purposes of this legislation.
So, now, every bill that seeks to legislate a new criminal offense or change existing sentencing procedures shall have attached to it a statement that not only indicates how it might effect the Iowa prison population but how it could specifically effect any of these minorities in a lop-sided fashion.
The bill also effects applications for grant money requested from any state agency (such as Department of human Services). It will have to be clear as respects any possible disproportionate or unique impact on minority persons named in the bill.
Having the impact statements does not mean that the legislation cannot be passed but if there is an adverse effect indicated the legislature will know they are deliberately ignoring the negatives of their actions.
Will this make a difference in Iowa as to our outlook on minority populations? It all depends on the good will and ethical intentions of our elected representatives. In Iowa we often proclaim loudly our fairness in approaching the way we deal with all people. In matters pertaining to incarcerating women and African-Americans the evidence is to the contrary. Hopefully, the results of this law will begin a positive process of change. It would be great to be able to go back and apply the principles of it to past legislation and maybe some of that will occur without another law. At any rate, this is one of the most positive bills I have ever witnessed and supported coming from inside the chambers in my 24 years of working the lobby at the Iowa Statehouse.
Carlos Jayne
Rev. Carlos Jayne
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