01-14-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING January 14, 2019 nation's most respected colleges and universities and is a state with wonderful assets and a welcoming spirit. This is a powerful opportunity to make certain that our students and citizens are afforded the same protections they are in all but five(5)other states. The years a student spends in college are important and impactful.Young people from across the state, the nation and the world come to our campuses to live and learn, and to understand more about how to live in an increasingly complex and diverse world. It is our job as college presidents to ensure that we create a fertile environment for those lessons to take root. It is our responsibility to make certain that each student feels welcomed, wanted, and able to do their best work. The very future of our country depends upon this effort. We commend the governor for his stand and join him in calling on the Indiana General Assembly to enact hate crimes legislation for the good of all Hoosiers. Councilmember Jo M. Broden continued, It is my understanding that not only the Association of Private Universities and Colleges but also our Public Institutions, statewide,have also signed onto this letter. That will close our presentation. Council President Tim Scott then opened the floor to questions and comments from Council Members. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I just want to, again, thank you for your leadership in bringing this forward. It is much needed, and I look forward to supporting any continued advocacy to bring this statewide. Councilmember Sharon L. McBride stated, It is indeed a privilege to be a part of such a movement for the City Council to take a stand to push for the stopping of hate crimes in the State of Indiana. I am very proud and pleased for you,Councilmember Broden and Councilmember Voorde,to take the lead. I continue to look forward to the progression of what is happening in the State of Indiana. Thank you so much for this,profoundly. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, Thank you for bringing this tonight. It is an issue that, as Councilmember Broden pointed out, has had a lot of work done already. A lot of discussion has been had. I've had a lot of conversations over the last couple of weeks about this. A lot of folks I've talked with are not in favor. I asked for some sound arguments and at the core, I think,we can all agree that a crime that is motivated by the fact that someone is different than you is more heinous than a crime that is simply motivated out of opportunity or something like that. Tagging the wall of a building is different from spray painting a swastika on a synagogue. We all instinctively know that. Thank you for bringing this and I look forward to supporting it. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated, Thank you for, again, leading this charge. On the eve of Dr. King's official birthday, which is tomorrow, I think it's highly appropriate that we vote on this tonight. This is something to send a message to our state legislators. Sometimes in the past it seemed like it was going to pass at the State level but then somebody brought up some interesting idea and it failed. It is my hope that this year it will take place in the State because it is high time that Indiana joins. When Mississippi and Alabama and some of the other southern states have already approved and passed this, it's embarrassing that the State of Indiana has not done that. People talk about those states and they have done their share of crimes and history has recorded that. But Indiana also has its own challenges and issues from when those things have started. I think this is a way where we can now say that it is time for us to move forward and where we can lead that instead of being on the end of everything. We have to lead this and so, again, this is a great thing to move forward with. Thank you and thank you to all those who have participated and who will speak tonight because it is time. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere and so it is time for us to have some justice tonight. Thank you. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic stated,Thank you for your leadership on this issue and thank you for everyone coming out to support it. Councilmember Karen White stated, I would like to thank Councilmember Jo Broden and Councilmember John Voorde for bringing this resolution before us. I'm very proud of the work you have done. It is really somewhat sad that we, in 2019, are still addressing hate within our society and our nation. I really am humbled that the Indiana Black Caucus has dealt with this for twenty (20) years and they are still moving forward. I am very hopeful that the work and the resolution we will be sending from the South Bend Common Council will really add weight to the 5