Tell Your Assembly member to VOTE NO on SB 793.
Neighborhood Forward is concerned with California Senate Bill 793, the proposed legislation to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. In the course of the debate, many pressing and critical issues have been raised concerning both the public health, as well as the criminal justice implications of a ban on cigarettes whose major consumers are people of color.
Although we have taken a different position concerning this legislation than others, we all share the same belief that we can have a robust and productive debate that prioritizes both the public health, as well as the criminal justice concerns. Our collective primary interests are protect the public and communities of color, specifically, from both corporate, as well as law enforcement abuses.
To that end we are requesting that any proposed ban on menthol cigarettes be withdrawn at this time and a working group convened, with the set mission to offer recommendations for new legislation. That working group must take into account all of our collective concerns and address the need for greater public health protections that do not compromise our constitutional and civil rights.
It is unjust to expect communities of color to choose between greater public health protections and basic civil rights. We do not accept the premise that we must choose between the two, that these interests are mutually exclusive nor that this debate is zero sum. A working group consisting of social justice and law enforcement along with other organizations is the best solution available to bridge the current divides.
YOUR STORY MATTERS!
CONTACT YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER DIRECTLY AND TELL THEM TO VOTE “NO” ON SB 793.
To find your local district representative, click HERE.
