MINORITY IMPACT STATEMENT LEGISLATION 101
ROUNDTABLE
Friday, January 10, 2020
In 2008 Iowa became the first state in America to pass the Minority Impact Statement Legislation. The internationally known Sentencing Project based in Washington, DC had concluded in their research that Iowa had the highest percentage of black males incarcerated. As an Iowa Legislator, I chose to visit the Sentencing Project to learn more about their research and what I, as legislator could do about it.
In 2008 I authored the legislation that made Iowa the first state in the nation to implement this historic legislation. Since 2008, Connecticut, Oregon and in 2019 New Jersey implemented similar legislation. Last legislative session, seven states-Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, and Vermont have introduced legislation to require racial impact statements. Just recently Oklahoma filed to implement the minority impact statement.
On Friday, January 17, 2020 at the Iowa State Capitol (old Supreme Courtroom) The Brown and Black Forums of America will be hosting a Minority Impact Statement Legislation 101 Roundtable from 2-4PM. This will kick off the Brown and Black Forums of America’s Democratic Presidential Forum week of activities. On January 20, 2020 the Brown and Black Forums of America will be hosting a Democratic Presidential Forum at the Iowa Events Center. The event is a partnership between Vice TV and Cashmere Agency.
Former and current Iowa State Legislators, community leaders, lobbyists, local/ state officials, and Universities officials will discuss the legislation history, implementation, research, impact and how other states are initiating similar legislation.
The roundtable will be facilitated by Wayne Ford who is a former Iowa State Legislator, Co-Chair of the Brown and Black Forums of America and founder of the Wayne Ford Equity Impact Institute.