Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2001)
Policy developed to ban racial profiling ■LBWjasKs law enforce ment agencies to keep statis tics on minority traffic stops. BY GEORGE GREEN “Why did you pull me over?" asked Charles dark of Omaha. The Omaha police officer did n’t respond to his first request, so he tried again: “Why did you pull me over?” Clark said the officer still didn't answer his question. Instead, he said, the officer asked him about his insurance, driver’s license, where he was heading and if his blinkers worked. Meanwhile, he said another officer “aggressively searched” die back seat of his car. That officer didn’t find any thing illegal, he said. And the other officer eventual ly handed Clark a ticket for “merg ing to soon,” he said. • When die cops hopped back into their cruiser, Clark said he began running through the entire event again in his mind. “I left the incident feeling like I was avictim erf racial profiling," he said. Or, as some call it, "driving while black." Legislature If Sen. Matt Connealy of Decatur gets his way, other minorities won’t have to endure the treatment dark received Connealy introduced the bill the Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Wednesday that would explicitly ban racial profil ing. The bill defines racial profiling as detaining an individual or con ducting an investigative stop of a motor vehicle based only on the person’s identity. In addition to banning the practice, LB593 charges law enforcement agencies with keep ing statistics on traffic stops that would include the race or ethnici ty of the person stopped Connealy said keeping statis tics will let lawmakers see how much of a problem Nebraska has with racial profiling. The bill doesn’t punish dis tricts or officers that stop a high percentage of minorities. Despite the lack of punitive measures, Connealy said his bill is “a good {dace to start” dark said he agreed In fact he said it’s essential for lawmakers to pass the bill because “Jim Crow justice is still alive and well Lt. Steve Grabowski, a repre sentative of the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police, said his group also supports the measure. Some Nebraskans may find his group's support ironic consid ering they didn’t sign onto a reso lution last year that banned racial profiling. Grabowski said the group received a lot of “heat” from citi zens about its choice. The fraternal order didn’t sign on then because the resolution “didn't do enough.” Now, he said they’re ready to join the tide working to quash to the practice. And he said lawmakers should get the ball rolling before the fed eral government hands out a “watered down” mandate. President George W. Bush recently ordered Attorney General John Ashcroft to develop a policy banning racial profiling. ATWhitaker, executive director of the Nebraska Equal Opportunities Commission, laud ed the bill and assured that it was n’t “an indictment against all police officers.” He said some officers don’t profile suspects. But, he said, some da These few offers have spawned widespread resent ment” among minorities toward police officers, he said. Minority groups, he said, are died of hearing stories about cops singling out their friends and fam ily members simply because of their race. TimButz, executive director of Nebraska chapter of the American Civil liberties Union, said minori ties need to know that govern ment isn’t ignoring their prob lems. LB593, he said, would be a step toward reassuring these groups. But, he said, the bill needs a lit tle work. He requested that the Legislature add quality control provisions to the bill that would review officer reports to assure they aren’t skewing the data to look fair. More importantly, he said, the bill must include penalties for those who consistently target minorities. If a doctor finds a cancerous mole, Butz said, he doesn’t wait two years to remove it Similarly, he said, lawmakers shouldn’t hesitate to eradicate another poison. "Racism is a cancer of society,” he said 'Ian Extra Meoey, Make a Differeace by Assisting ia Medical Research.' If you or someone you know responded to this ad and participated in a study for MDS Harris, ABC News would like to talk to you. Please contact Brenda Breslauerj at (888) 786-6483 or brenda.s.breslauer@abc.com. bmoxers can still light up in restaurants SMOWMC from page 1 sions about whether to allow smoking in their restaurants. Cunningham also voiced con- - cem for the rural district he repre sents. "In my district, most towns only have one restaurant and two or three bars," he said. With smokers not being able to smoke in the one restaurant, they would go to the bars, making the restaurant lose revenue. Cunningham said. “I don't like going to restau rants that allow smoking, but I don’t want to pass a law that would drive small restaurants out of the business,” he said. During debate, other senators said that if Nebraska bans smok ing in restaurants, they need to level the playing field and ban smoking in bars, too. But one of Thompson’s main reason for proposing the smoking ban in restaurants was to make < family restaurants smoke-free, and bars aren’t family-oriented places, she said. None of the senators pro posed an amendment to include bars to this bilL Thompson said she might introduce the bill again next year or die bill could be brought bade in an initiative by the people This was also discussed during the debate of the Clean Indoor Air Act “History could repeat itself with this bill," she said. i Feeling squeezed? i 3rd Annual Housing f oir i \ L \ to t to 2 P™ Grand Ballroom Nebraska Union 1 1 1 1 1 L \ 1 1 .. G«1alA»,*,,ta0,“pto* . Broughtto Y« W *»« 1 l Ofli^Mebraskan V ■mow' Career Services Snapshot.. hat s uQVQi i <3? jof* •"’Uf"" .A 8-T • Part-time and Summer Jobs • Internships • Career Counseling • Resume & Cover Letter Help • Interviewing Tips • Husker Hire Link Sprintf Visit Career Services when you get back! Call 472-3145 for an appointment or walk-in Monday-Friday 10 am - 4pm. NU Career Services • 230 Nebraska Union • 472-3145 • www.unl.edu/careers East Campus Delivery Valentino's at 35th & Holdrege Call Valentino's 13th & Q 475-1501 Student Coupon '•quint Ofcrjood hr anp-our (and Mcofyulwt | ■ oioble|oulp Ono coupon p* penon, pur rial Net good «Mi MpariNrofl*, Student Woo Act or Fowtptolue Ms. ■ Oiief joodoWrsfou 13(hfiQand 35(ht HoUnpt knMm. | Coupon ftpuiftri. (Mu|oiilirviputffldUMTikM opoiifclij tutf. Ooo coupon pcc pem^ poc cut Noc pcoP mtft , a *- -»—.mj - rv_, r„—^ ly-i uif omcr on, JMnra wub nw w nw«y ww njos. Ofcr pod orip at our 13* t Q ant 35* t HoMrago looMiom.