State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth says major police reform is a task for local government, rather than state and federal leaders.
The Peoria Democrat, and member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, says lawmakers in Springfield are limited in what they can do to help.
"There are certainly pieces around use of force tactics that we are looking at shifting in state policy,” she says. “But particularly around issues of discipline, what is allowable — all of those things are governed by the contract with the city of Peoria.”
Gordon-Booth says the protests surrounding George Floyd's death are about more than police violence — they're about racist institutions as a whole.
“We can use this moment just to talk about the issues of police brutality or — which I am in favor of the latter — which is using this moment to really unpack systemic racism,” she says. “Police brutality is really a symptom of a much larger, much more systemic problem.”
When looking to dismantle racism without government institutions, Gordon-Booth says, lawmakers must look at “buckets” such as economics and investment, healthcare equity, educational disparities — on top of police reform.
“There are some things that are out of our jurisdiction,” she says, noting they could be the responsibility of city council, county government, or federal policymakers. “But there are things in [the state’s] purview that allow us to have a significant impact on these communities.”
Gordon-Booth says these conversations are nothing new, but the efforts of younger generations of protesters could lead to a different outcome this time around.
“You’re seeing young people that are putting their bodies on the line, day in and day out,” she says. “Young people all over this country have created a space to have a larger conversation.”
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