Action Alert! Racial Profiling Bill Passes First Committee

[<cdonner2@juno.com>]

Colorado Progressive Coalition Urgent Action Alert:  February 7, 2001

STOP  RACIAL  PROFILING  IN  COLORADO:  A Civil Rights Victory...Next Steps

COLORADO HOUSE BILL 1114 PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE
A major civil rights victory happened on Tuesday, February 6, when State 
Representative Peter Groff's HB 1114 passed 7 to 2 in the House Civil
Justice 
and Judiciary Committee.  All four Democrats (Reps. Bacon of Fort Collins; 
Boyd of Lakewood; Jahn of Wheat Ridge; and Madden of Boulder) voted "yes" as

did three Republicans (Reps. Johnson of Fort Collins; Mitchell of
Broomfield; 
and Snook of Alamosa).  Only two members voted "no":  Reps. Lee and Stengel,

both of Littleton.  Please call all "yes" voters and thank them for their 
vote!

MAJOR CIVIL RIGHTS VICTORY…..MINOR CHANGES TO THE BILL
Rep. Groff added amendments that still require traffic stop data collection

by the Colorado State Patrol but now require collection from city and county

law enforcement agencies over 75,000 population.  The toll-free hot-line is

no longer included in the bill and data would now be reported yearly with
the 
final analysis conducted at the end of the three year period of the bill.  
Perhaps most importantly, the bill costs the state absolutely nothing.
 
FLOOR VOTE COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Following today's big win, HB 1114 now moves to the House Floor where all 65

state representatives will vote on it.  (Note:  for those who witnessed the

vote, the bill was initially sent to the dreaded Appropriations Committee
but 
was reconsidered in the afternoon and is now on to the House floor.)  To win

here, we must have 33+ votes.  See the list below for key target
votes-please 
call them today!

WHY COLORADO LEGISLATORS SHOULD VOTE "YES" ON HB 1114
This bill is a simple one and would only require that law enforcement 
agencies collect information on their stops and release this information to

the public.  This data may give statistical proof that racial profiling does

exist in Colorado and could help change law enforcement practices and begin

to rebuild trust between police and communities.

BREAKING NEWS:  Some (conservative) representatives will try to amend the 
bill on the House floor to weaken it.  When calling, please say that however

HB 1114 moves forward, it must keep the existing data collection
requirements 
or the bill's integrity will be compromised.

MAKE A CALL (OR CALLS) TODAY!  VOTE YES ON HB 1114!
The entire House will vote on HB 1114 as soon as this Friday.  The vote will

be very difficult and your calls could make the difference!  Call your local

representative and the ones listed below who are closest to you.  Ask them
to 
vote "yes" on HB 1114 concerning traffic stop data collection and encourage

them to support the bill, as it stands, without amendments that will weaken

it and compromise the bill's integrity.

KEY HOUSE TARGETS TO CALL:  PLEASE CALL TODAY!
(if you live outside metro Denver, call 800.811.7647 from 9am to 5pm)

LIVE IN DENVER METRO?  CALL THESE REPS. TODAY!
** Rep. Shawn Mitchell (R-Broomfield/Adams) 303.866.4667
** Rep. Glenn Scott (R-Westminster/Adams)       303.866.2916    
** Rep. Debbie Stafford (R-Aurora)              303.866.2944
** Rep. Bill Swenson (R-Longmont/Louis/Lafay)   303.866.2920
** Rep. John Witwer (R-Evergreen/JeffCo)            303.866.2957

LIVE IN EL PASO COUNTY?  CALL THESE REPS. TODAY!
** Rep. Doug Dean, (R-Colo Springs)             303.866.2348
** Rep. Richard Decker (R-Fountain)             303.866.2946

LIVE IN NORTHERN COLORADO?  CALL THESE REPS. TODAY!
** Rep. Timothy Fritz (R-Loveland)              303.866.2947
** Rep. Steve Johnson (R-Fort Collins)          303.866.2907
** Rep. Tambor Williams (R-Greeley)             303.866.2929

LIVE IN SOUTHERN COLORADO?  CALL THESE REPS. TODAY!
** Rep. Ken Kester (R-Las Animas/Southeast) 303.866.2948    
** Rep. Joyce Lawrence (R-Pueblo)               303.866.2922
** Rep. Jim Snook (R-Alamosa/San Luis Valley)   303.866.2963
** Rep. Lola Spradley (R-Beulah/Fremont Cty)    303.866.3540

LIVE IN WESTERN COLORADO?  CALL THESE REPS. TODAY!
** Rep. Kay Alexander (R-Montrose)              303.866.2955
** Rep. Gayle Berry (R-Grand Junction)          303.866.2908
** Rep. Mark Larson (R-Cortez/Southwest)        303.866.2914
** Rep. Carl Miller (D-Leadville/Central Mtns)      303.866.2952
** Rep. Gregg Rippy (R-Glenwood Springs)        303.866.2945
** Rep. Matt Smith (R-Grand Junction/Delta Cty) 303.866.3068
** Rep. Al White (R-Winter Park/Northwest)      303.866.2949

THANK YOU!
HB 1114 has been endorsed by a broad coalition of civil rights and 
faith-based organizations and individuals.  Thank you for your calls.  For 
more information on HB 1114, contact the Colorado Progressive Coalition at 
303.866.0908 or coprogressive@aol.com.


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