Tempers flared on the virtual Senate floor Monday as lawmakers discussed how to address racial justice and police reform in the remaining weeks before both legislative bodies are expected to adjourn.
Sen. Debbie Ingram, D-Chittenden, criticized Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, for allegedly planning not to seek input from as many stakeholders as possible and relying on the help of “one young black intern” to craft legislation curbing law enforcement’s use of force.
“I have to say, really honestly, that one young black intern contributing to the conversation is going to take care of hearing from people of color smacks of tokenism,” Ingram said.
Ingram’s attack on Sears came after the Judiciary Committee chair had said he was concerned about how much work his panel could accomplish in order to move a bill in just two weeks. The senator said he was glad that Skyler Nash, a University of Vermont student who has worked as an intern for both the Judiciary and the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight committees, had agreed to help craft the bill.
“He’ll provide a perspective that all of us do not have and that’s as a person of color, being with the committee to help us understand some of the ramifications,” Sears said.
Nash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sears apologized to Ingram, and said he had not intended to insinuate he or the committee would be strictly relying on Nash or using his expertise in lieu of hearing from other people of color in the state.
“Debbie, that’s not what I meant and I’m sorry if it was offensive to you and if you took it that way,” Sears said. “I don’t know what to say, we’re going to hear from as many people as I can possibly hear from.”
Ingram, who is running for lieutenant governor in 2020, said she hoped Sears would take up — or at least look at — legislation she had introduced this biennium: S.119, which would mandate training on appropriate use of force by law enforcement, and S.262, proposing expanded requirements for the collection of roadside policing data.
“I’ve already read S.119, it’s well written, thank you very much,” Sears said.
“I do want to apologize if it sounded like I was suggesting that it was tokenism,” he continued. “I was only happy that somebody volunteered to work with the committee on a regular basis and he’s been extremely helpful to us.”
Ingram responded, “I think that if you put out the call, you’ll find that many, many other people will be happy to help the committee.” At that point, Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe, D/P-Burlington, also a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, cut in, ending the back-and-forth between the two senators.
The spat between Ingram and Sears comes as Vermont’s upper chamber turns its focus to racial justice amid protests nationwide, including in Vermont, sparked by Minneaplis police killing George Floyd, an unarmed black man.
Ashe said he has contacted Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, and key committee chairs in both chambers will have a “coordinating discussion” in the coming days.
The House bill on police use of force, H.808, is currently in the Government Operations Committee. In the Senate, Sears said his committee will begin taking testimony on legislation that would establish a “use of deadly force policy” for all Vermont law enforcement.
Sears is considering a prohibition on police chokeholds as a means of restraint and a requirement that law enforcement intervene if they see a peer using the technique.
The Senate will also look at incentivizing law enforcement to collect and report race data from traffic stops, by tying compliance to grants from the state.
The Senate has been pushing for enactment of the justice reinvestment bill, S.338, which is aimed at reducing the population of incarcerated Vermonters and investing the savings in strategies to improve public safety.
Sears said his committee will discuss the changes to S.338 made by the House on Wednesday, adding “hopefully we come to some agreement.”