PHOENIX, ARIZONA – June 4, 2020 – Over the last two years, American Friends Service CommitteeArizona (AFSC-AZ) has worked with state Rep. Walt Blackman on sentencing reform legislation, focusing on the areas of earned release credits for people in prison to reduce Arizona’s prison population and increasing options for mental health services in rural counties.
During this time, Rep. Blackman pledged to reform advocates, incarcerated people and their families that he was a champion for their cause.
Yesterday, speaking on KFYI and in a Facebook video, Rep. Blackman expressed his views on the horrific murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protest movement denouncing police violence against people of color.
Rep. Blackman refused to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence that people of color are disproportionately dying at the hands of the police across the U.S. and, in fact, that every five days, an Arizona officer shoots someone.
Rep. Blackman failed to take this opportunity to use his platform as an elected leader to commit to address the sickness of racism and protect his constituents from discrimination and violence.
