Governor, lawmakers focus on fixing structural racism, bias

Fri, Jun 5, 2020 (12:13 p.m.)

Gov. Steve Sisolak said today he was committed to work on measures to fix issues related to structural racism and bias.

Sisolak said living in fear of police encounters is “simply something I don’t live with” as a “privileged white man.”

Sisolak was joined at a news conference today by black elected officials state Attorney General Aaron Ford, Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D-North Las Vegas.

Frierson said lawmakers were discussing policies to fix issues of racial injustice.

A law passed in the last legislative session requiring police de-escalation training hasn’t yet been implemented, which is a “problem,” he said.

Frierson said legislators want to look at other areas where bias and de-escalation training can be implemented, and collect more data on encounters with law enforcement.

Frierson said he grew up learning rules to deal with racism in Compton, Calif., and now finds himself passing those rules down to his son.

“I don’t want these rules to be the only thing my son knows about law enforcement,” he said.

Frierson touted past criminal justice reform legislation passed in Carson City, including banning for-profit prisons, allowing wrongfully convicted people to bring legal action for damages and automatically restoring the right to vote for former inmates.

“Systemic racism is just that, it’s systemic. It touches every facet of our lives and our economy, from housing to education and criminal justice to health care,” Frierson said.

“As elected officials and community leaders, we’ll continue to address creating a Nevada that creates opportunities for all,” he said.

Sisolak said discussions about racism can be difficult and avoiding them is an easier path, but Nevadans are “better than that”

“We’re going to listen,” Sisolak said. “We’re going to have the conversations, and we’re going to take action.”

Sisolak said combatting racism and racial injustice will take the efforts of everyone in Nevada, from residents to business owners to law enforcement.

“While we’re committed to continuing to make progress on these issues at the state level, it would be a naïve disservice to convince ourselves that systemic racism and injustice will be solved only through this effort,” Sisolak said.

Sisolak did not commit to holding a special session to address racial issues or the state’s budgetary situation due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ford said his office had signed a letter asking for the ability to conduct “pattern or practice” civil rights investigations reserved for the Department of Justice. The investigations look into any potential misconduct patterns in police departments.

Responding to a question about why protesters can gather in the streets while the size of church gatherings are restricted, Ford said, “You did not ask this question when it was white men in militia attire gathering outside of our governor’s home.” 

Back to top

SHARE