Lex Scott
Template:TOCnestleft Lex Scott is affiliated to Freedom Road Socialist Organization/FightBack!.
BLM Utah
Sen. Mike Lee and Lex Scott, the founder of Black Lives Matter Utah, both believe there's an opportunity to pass a meaningful police reform bill through congress, but time is running out.
Scott and Lee appeared on Fox News to discuss their recent meeting, and what should be included in potential police reform legislation.
"We spoke about reforms, pushing for data collection, independent civilian review boards, qualified immunity reform, body cam legislation," said Scott. "I've spoken with Mitt Romney about this as well. I'm working on both sides of the aisle."
A bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, was blocked by Senate Democrats who said it did not go far enough to address the concerns about the police following the nationwide protests that erupted following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Lee said the Scott proposal was a good starting point, but he was disappointed Democrats did not want to work with Republicans to improve the legislation.
"It wasn't a perfect bill, but a step in the right direction. We could have and should have improved that into something much better. Democrats chose to vote against it," he said. "I had a good conversation with some renewed effort to get the Tim Scott bill back on the floor and I am optimistic we can move forward with it."
Scott pleaded with lawmakers in Washington to act now, because time is running out.
"We have been ignored for years, and now the world is finally listening and it won't mean anything unless we get real reform. This is our time. We have this little piece of time that we can change the world, so I'm begging, please, someone pass a police reform bill in Washington," she said.[1]
Meeting with the Governor
Lex Scott pulled down her face mask and whispered excitedly to her TikTok audience.
"I'm in the governor's office! Say hi, Governor Herbert!" she said, pivoting the camera to a masked governor.
"Hi Governor Herbert!" the governor joked back.
Joking aside, Scott -- the head of Utah's Black Lives Matter movement -- met with Gov. Gary Herbert on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the very serious subject of policing reforms. She spoke to FOX 13 after the meeting, which she described as "very positive."
"It just was great. It was an amazing meeting. I’m beyond pleased," she said.
Scott said she went into the meeting with a three-page list of requests that she'd like the governor to enact. She was careful to request things that Gov. Herbert was within his power to do. Asked how the governor responded, Scott said he was receptive.
"He said 'Everyone is on the same page when it comes to justice,'" she recalled.
The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the meeting, but previously his office has confirmed that it was he who reached out to Scott.
Gov. Herbert has been meeting with Black community leaders in the aftermath of protests against racism and police brutality that have taken place across the state. During one meeting with members of his own Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission, Gov. Herbert was moved to tears as he heard from people who shared their own experiences of racism in Utah and issues with police. He is scheduled to meet with them again later this month with policy proposals.
Scott said among the things she asked the governor for: a statewide Civilian Review Board; a registry for officer misconduct; implicit bias training for officers; increased diversity hiring in police agencies; more utilization of less-than-lethal weapons; greater public disclosure of body camera video; and naming officers involved in brutality or shooting cases.
Scott said she has found common ground with Republican lawmakers on Utah's Capitol Hill who are interested in legislation that enacts policing reforms. She has also spoken with Sen. Mitt Romney and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.
"I don’t think police reform should be a Democrat or Republican issue," she said.
Dozens of bills are in the works in the legislature reacting to the demonstrations that came in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"It’s an issue that’s near and dear to me. I raise two minority children. I care a lot about justice," said Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Mountain Green.
Rep. Birkeland said she is considering a bill on police restraint techniques.
Rep. Birkeland said she was also drafting a bill that would require more public disclosure of officer use of force and misconduct investigations.
Rep. Birkeland said she has been meeting with law enforcement groups who have been receptive to some of her ideas. Previous legislation already passed and signed by the governor has earned support from the Utah Chiefs of Police Association and the Utah Sheriff's Association.
Asked how she would feel about reform measures being implemented, Scott fought back tears in her interview with FOX 13.
"We'd change the entire state of Utah. I would just … the work that we do is worth it," she said. "It would be one of the most powerful moments of my life."[2]
FRSO Presentation: International Women's Day
Freedom Road Socialist Organization Presentation: International Women's Day 210 E 400 S,Salt Lake City Sunday 8 March 2015. Organized by Alyssa Faith.
Those indicating attendance on the Wherevent website included Gabriella Anderson, Samah Safiullah, Alyssa Ferris, Agneta Erlandsson, Elizabeth Rosales, Lex Scott, Megan Davies, Jessica Diane Arter, Elika Fanaeian, Marisol Marquez, Alicia Cervantes, Lorena Christina Chavez, Victoria Sethunya, Muna Omar, Gregory Lucero, Cannon Atkinson, Travis Gray, Chris Manor, Greg Murray, Daniel Chavez, Emurio Pretorius, Ian Decker, Jacob Victor Jensen , Jordan Ruga, Ian De Oliveira, William Ranta, Nick Godfrey.[3]