Kennedy, Markey support defunding police

U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey and U.S. Rep Joseph P. Kennedy III clashed over criminal justice reform during a fiery debate Monday night while agreeing on sweeping and controversial law enforcement reforms that would take money away from state and local police.

Their calls to shake up local law enforcement follow recent cries for police reform after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died at the hands of police.

“It is absolutely critical that we stop this school to prison pipeline that we have in our country,” said Markey, who went on to blast his rival for choosing to work for “a right-wing republican district attorney,” who opposed progressive criminal reforms. Kennedy’s first job was with Republican Cape and Island DA Michael O’Keefe.

“I don’t think it was good judgment,” said Markey.

Kennedy shot back at Markey for supporting a 1994 crime bill that has been criticized for increasing criminal justice disparity and leading to the mass incarceration of blacks.

“Senator, you may be known for some things in your time in office. Racial justice and criminal justice is not one of them,” said Kennedy, who also said law enforcement must be completely reformed.

“That does mean going to our budgets and reallocating those budgets,” said Kennedy.

In addition to redirecting law enforcement funding to nurses and social workers, Markey said he wants to ban police from using tear gas and stop buying police “weapons of war.” Kennedy would put police funding toward services like, “education, mental health care and anti-violence.”

The candidates’ discussions come as communities across the country discuss varying degrees of defunding the police in an effort to eliminate systemic racism. Nine members of the Minneapolis City Council, the city where Floyd died, announced they would, “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department,” Sunday night.

Neither Kennedy nor Markey support eliminating the police, but their proposals are far left of many national Democrats. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a legislative package that would limit the sale of military weapons to police, ban the use of chokeholds and establish a national database to track police misconduct.

Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Monday he opposes defunding the police after President Trump sought to cast him as turning his back on law enforcement.

“LAW & ORDER, NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE,” Tweeted Trump Monday morning. ”The Radical Left Democrats have gone Crazy!”

Biden’s campaign said he supports massive reforms throughout police departments across the nation.

The debate was hosted by WPRI 12, Gannett’s Massachusetts publications and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Kennedy and Markey will face off in the Democratic primary on Sept. 1.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2UsnHEm