CPA’s Regional Policy Leaders Forums connect legislators
with advocates and experts to develop public policy agendas, share information
and program models, and enhance policy advocacy skills. The Regional Policy
Leaders Forum has been expanded to five regions (Northeast, Midwest, Southeast,
Southwest, and West), reaching all across the nation. Forums are held year round
where small groups of policy makers and community leaders learn about
"hot" issues and develop solutions that enable them to build diverse
coalitions.
Southeast Policy Leaders Address Racial
Profiling, Predatory Lending
Raleigh, North Carolina Forum
"If you have nothing to hide, why wouldn’t you support
a bill to collect data on the incidents of racial profiling?" asked Colonel
Richard Holden of the North Carolina State Police. Racial profiling, predatory
lending, and various criminal justice issues were topics highlighted at the
Southeast regional meeting held in Raleigh, NC, June 16-17.
Holden detailed North Carolina’s ground breaking and
successful effort to enact legislation that collects data on incidents of racial
profiling. The law sets aside funds for researchers from North Carolina
universities to work with state and local law enforcement agencies to collect
and analyze reports of racial profiling.
Speaking passionately about his belief in the need for racial
profiling legislation, Holden detailed how North Carolina used training
sessions, a videotape, and public forums to communicate to both officers and the
public that profiling of any sort was unacceptable and would not be tolerated
among law enforcement officials.
Expanding the focus upon racial profiling, Delegate Salima
Marriott of Maryland (Flemming Fellow ‘95)discussed her campaign to address
the "continuum" ofc riminal justice issues that disproportionately
affect African Americans. Marriott introduced a package of12 bills that ranged
from declaring a moratorium on executions to addressing juvenile justice issues
to police brutality and excessive violence. The Maryland Black Caucus agreed to
make justice issues a priority in the next session, and is continuing to work
with grassroots organizations in the African American community to prepare for
the 2001 session. Building upon the momentum of North Carolina which passed
legislation against predatory lending in the 1999 session, Senator Vincent Fort
(GA)discussed his work with North Carolina Self-Help to introduce similar
legislation in the coming 2001session.
Fort presented research demonstrating how sub-lenders target
homeowners vulnerable to predatory lending in Atlanta and discussed his plans to
extend the research throughout Georgia in anticipation of the up-coming
legislative session.
Southwest Policy Leaders Address Prescription
Drugs, Bilingual Education
Phoenix, Arizona Forum
The issue of lowering prescription drug prices was the
centerpiece of the regional conference of the Southwest Policy Leaders Forum
held June 16-17 in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference drew legislators and partner
organizations from across Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Conference participants heard presentations from Maine Senate
Majority Leader Chellie Pingree (Flemming Fellow ‘96) who sponsored an
innovative new law to lower drug prices in her state, as well as Tracey Baroni
of the Pharmaceutical Research &Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) who argued
against such legislation. A lively debate followed and a number of legislators
declared their intention to sponsor or cosponsor fair prescription drug pricing
legislation when their legislatures reconvene next year.
The Southwest Regional Forum also highlighted proposals for
bilingual education. In 1998, California voters approved Proposition 229 to
curtail bilingual education programs in public schools. This year, the same type
of anti-bilingual initiative is headed for the November ballot in both Arizona
and Colorado.
These initiatives seek to replace traditional bilingual
curricula with one-year English-immersion programs. Supporters of bilingual
education point out that children in English-immersion programs fall behind
English-speaking students in the same school and often are never able to close
the academic gap.
Redistricting, subsidy accountability, pay equity and the
living wage were among the other topics discussed at the conference.
