Police Reform in Congress and Oregon
Jump to today’s actions:
Background
Remember the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act? The bill to end choke holds, mandatory minimum sentences, qualified immunity, marijuana arrests and more is sitting in the Senate. Republicans are making a show of negotiating while Democrats seek the majority needed to end the filibuster.
But even if the Act passes, it covers only federal law enforcement agencies. The heaviest lifting on police reform must happen at the state and local levels.
At this moment the Oregon legislature is considering several police reform bills. Some have a chance of passing with their teeth intact. One such bill would protect us from police misconduct by making disciplinary records open to the public. For example:
Knowing that the officer who arrested you has been accused of false statements makes a difference when defending yourself in court.
Other police departments should be able to see an applicant’s disciplinary history.
Today’s Action 3 is to email your Oregon state senators (works best for Oregon in pandemic times) and ask them to pass House Bill 2929 with amendment A4. The amendment would let the public see police misconduct records.
Nationwide, police have killed 367 people in 2021, six in the 24 hours after the Minneapolis verdict. We need state and local reforms now.
1. Call the Senate.
Script Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I fully support passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, including ending the filibuster to do so. One court case in Minneapolis hasn’t changed the system. Nationwide, police have killed 367 people in 2021, six in the 24 hours after the Minneapolis verdict. All of us deserve to live in communities that are safe, with police that make us safe, no matter our skin color, zip code or where we come from.I ask you to do everything possible to end the filibuster and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Thank you.
SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I fully support passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, including ending the filibuster to do so. One court case in Minneapolis hasn’t changed the system. Nationwide, police have killed 367 people in 2021, six in the 24 hours after the Minneapolis verdict. All of us deserve to live in communities that are safe, with police that make us safe, no matter our skin color, zip code or where we come from.I ask you to do everything possible to end the filibuster and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
I am calling to say that I fully support passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, including ending the filibuster to do so. One court case in Minneapolis hasn’t changed the system. Nationwide, police have killed 367 people in 2021, six in the 24 hours after the Minneapolis verdict. All of us deserve to live in communities that are safe, with police that make us safe, no matter our skin color, zip code or where we come from. I ask you to stand up for fair treatment, work to end the filibuster, and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
2. Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I care deeply about police reform. I do thank you for voting to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. However, the bill has yet to be voted on by the Senate. I ask you to use your influence to advocate for its passage and to educate Oregonians about the need for police reform. Thank you.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I care deeply about police reform. I ask you to use your influence to educate Oregonians about the need for police reform. Thank you.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I care deeply about police reform. I do thank you for voting to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. However, the bill has yet to be voted on by the Senate. I ask you to use your influence to advocate for its passage and to educate Oregonians about the need for police reform. Thank you.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I care deeply about police reform. I do thank you for voting to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. However, the bill has yet to be voted on by the Senate. I ask you to use your influence to advocate for its passage and to educate Oregonians about the need for police reform. Thank you.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I am calling to say that I care deeply about police reform. I do thank you for voting to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. However, the bill has yet to be voted on by the Senate. I ask you to use your influence to advocate for its passage and to educate Oregonians about the need for police reform. Thank you.
3. Take Action.
Email your Oregon state senator to urge passage of HB 2929-A4. The amendment would let the public see police misconduct records.
Find your senator here:
Sample email by Oregon Justice Resource Center here:
Sample email with a Portland focus here.
Be sure to say that you support the -A4 amendments to HB 2929. Please make your email your own. We hear that some legislators count template emails collectively as one email.
Thank you!
Additional Resources
Comparison of US police forces with those of other wealthy countries: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/opinion/police-officers-usa-global.html
Status of congressional action:
What’s in the George Floyd bill:
Public support for the GF Act: https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2021/3/12/voters-support-justice-in-policing-act
Stats on violence in policing:
https://www.stitcher.com/show/pod-save-the-people/episode/the-200th-episode-withlarry-krasner-83491062 Especially 5:43: Six people were killed by police in the 24 hours after George Floyd’s murder. 6:01: Data show that use of force has gone up in Minneapolis since the the murder.
https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
What’s in Oregon HB 2929-A4:
https://twitter.com/OJRCenter/status/1391882027905916929?s=20 and
