On Friday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa signed bipartisan legislation that bans the use by law enforcement of most chokeholds. The law also makes it illegal to rehire law enforcement and reserve officers who have been fired for “serious misconduct.” This was a compromise of the “Plan for a More Perfect Union,” proposed by Democratic officials last week.
Gov. Reynolds told the audience in attendance that "This is not the end of our work, it is just the beginning." The crowd gathered for the signing began to chant “Black Lives Matter,” with many people in attendance holding up their fists in the Black Power sign.
In a video posted by Iowa Starting Line, the audience in attendance began chanting “Black Lives Matter” as Gov. Reynolds sat down and signed the law into being. It’s a small victory, but an important victory on the road toward finding the justice that has been withheld from Black people in America for hundreds of years. Des Moines Black Lives Matter activists have been pushing a list of five demands for the Iowa State Legislature in the last few days.
- Demanding that state legislators to vote down HF 2532 that would legalize corporal punishment in the state’s public schools.
- The signing of the “Plan for a More Perfect Union” legislation into being.
- Decriminalization of cannabis across the state and the expunging of criminal records for individuals charged in “cannabis-related” offenses.
- Ending juvenile detention and reallocating those resources toward education and mental health services for the public.
- Demanding that Gov. Reynolds pass an executive order reinstating the voting rights of all Iowans with felony charges who have served their sentences.
We will have to continue to be vigilant as politicians like Gov. Reynolds are known for pretending Band-Aid solutions mean the end of the story. It is not. This is work that must go on until it is 100% completed.