Democratic Senators Ben Cardin And John Conyers Push For Ban On Racial Profiling

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and U.S. John Conyers (D-Mich.) want a federal racial profiling ban. Civil rights leaders flanked Cardin and Conyers during a Tuesday press conference after Conyers introduced his version of the ?End Racial Profiling Act? in the House, thinkprogress.org reports.

Cardin introduced his version in the Senate in May. The proposed legislation prohibits local, state and federal racial profiling in most cases. Racial profiling would be permitted in cases where eyewitness accounts confirmed a suspect’s race, according to a Cardin press release.

The bill mandates training on racial profiling issues as part of Federal law enforcement training, the collection of data on all routine or spontaneous investigatory activities that is to be submitted through a standardized form to the Department of Justice.

Cardin testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during an April 2012 ?Ending Racial Profiling in America? hearing about this bill. Fellow U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin(D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA),? Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) are co-sponsors.

Durbin is Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights chairman.

Racial profiling undermines the rule of law and strikes at the core of our nation’s commitment to equal protection for all.

If approved, the bill could change the way Wisconsin law enforcement, for example, does business, jsonline.com reported. Wis. Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill in June 2011, which reversed a state requirement for law enforcement to gather data, including race, during traffic stops.

Mandate opponents said the repeal meant less paperwork. Supporters of data collection said it helps track potential racial profiling. Walker used the economy as a defense.

During tight budget times we need to set priorities in all areas of government, and this bill allows law enforcement agencies to focus on doing their job – protecting and serving the public.

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Jason Carson Wilson is a Chicago-based freelance writer with more than 10 years of journalism experience. Wilson previously worked as a staff writer for daily and weekly newspapers throughout downstate Illinois. He also contribute to the Windy City Times. Wilson, a gay, African-American, is a first-year Chicago Theological Seminary student. He covers stories about GLBT rights, human rights, marriage equality, politics, race, and religion.