A bill that would prohibit police
officers from stopping motorists based solely on race or ethnicity was
approved Tuesday by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. The
legislation now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Sen. David
Haley, a Kansas City, Kan., Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors,
said the measure would define the practice known as racial profiling
for the first time in Kansas statutes. The measure is the result of a
compromise between organizations representing minorities and law
enforcement. In that compromise, a provision sought by supporters was
eliminated. It would have made racial profiling a misdemeanor criminal
offense. “This bill will not ban racial profiling, but it is a baby
step toward easing the practice,” Haley said of the lack of punitive
provisions in the measure. He added that a recent state study found
that racial profiling did exist in some areas of the state. “Victims of
racial profiling, of course, have known this for years — that they were
being stopped because of their color,” he said. The measure would
establish a 15-member task force to design a uniform method of
collecting data on traffic stops. Another provision would require all
law enforcement agencies to adopt policies on racial profiling within
one year of the effective date of the legislation. [more]