Dick Durbin: “on Tuesday I was pleased to chair an important hearing in the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights…”

“on Tuesday I was pleased to chair an important hearing in the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights that took a look at the state of civil rights in America today. We heard compelling testimony from our colleagues, including Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, and Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota. We also heard from civil rights leaders Wade Henderson and Laura Murphy, and from Dr. Cedric Alexander of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. It was a powerful hearing. We talked about Michael Brown of Ferguson Missouri, Eric Garner of Staten Island, and the growing sentiment across our Nation that the criminal justice system needs to be improved. In particular, we talked about challenges that our Nation faces when it comes to restoring the trust of the minority communities in our government. Every witness, every Senator at the hearing agreed. We need to do more--not just wring our hands but to hold hands together and find solutions. One issue we discussed at the hearing was the need for law enforcement to be more transparent. We discussed important legislation--called the Death in Custody Reporting Act--that would mark a significant step forward when it comes to transparency.…”