County Passes Racial Equity and Social Justice Bill

On Tuesday, November 19 the Racial Equity and Social Justice Bill (Bill 27-19) was passed unanimously by the Montgomery County Council. The MORE Network, of which IMPACT is a member,  has been a staunch advocate for the Bill.  Several Network members testified in support of the legislation at public hearings and suggested  amendments to strengthen it.

The final version of Bill 27-19 incorporated some of the amendments presented by MORE Network members, including the following:

• Increases the number of community members on the Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee from three to eight.
• Requires all bills (except for expedited ones) to have a racial equity analysis before being enacted.
• Provides annual $2,000 stipend for community members serving on the advisory committee.
• Mandates racial equity and social justice training for all county staff.

The historic moment was covered in both The Washington Post and Bethesda BEAT with some great quotes from Network members Carolyn Lowery, Hashim Jabar, and Joanna Silver!