By: Kayley Bell
The summer of 2020 brought a significant amount of social, political, and economic stress. Following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, as a result of the violation of police protocol as well as other incidents during the tragic year, there were many protests across the nation. These mass protests sometimes turned violent, resulting in the widespread destruction of local businesses, as well as many police and civilian casualties. Feeling called by the injustice done to small business owners as they got caught up in the fray, Delegate Jackson decided to write a bill to address these grievances.
Titled, ¨An Act to Hold Accountable Organizations Responsible for Protests That Turn Violent,¨ Delegate Jackon’s bill proposed penalties for organizations that have protests that turn violent. Some of these penalties include a minimum of $500,000 in fines in order to dissuade organizations from allowing their demonstrations from turning violent.
When asked why Delegate Jackson believed that his bill should pass, he replied, “It would hold accountable organizations that commit or encourage criminal activity, such as arson.”[sic] The need for this change can be seen by analyzing the statistics from various protests that went violent. The George Floyd riots in Minnesota alone caused an estimated $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 in damages. “There is no other legislation like this. Small business owners need to feel like their property is being protected by the government, and that the government won´t stand for violence in their municipalities.”
One response to this bill is in opposition because of the 40-year penalty, stating that a 40 year-long penalty is excessive. What the critics do not realize is that this is a maximum penalty, not a minimum. The 40-year maximum penalty simply ensures that someone would not receive the exercise punishments for their crime such as life in prison or capital punishment.
This bill should be passed for the following reasons: violence causes negative impacts on society, riots harm small businesses and individual property, and this bill encourages accountability.
Works Cited
Polumbo, Brad. “George Floyd Riots Caused Record-Setting $2 Billion in Damage, New Report Says. Here’s Why the True Cost Is Even Higher: Brad Polumbo.” FEE Freeman Article, Foundation for Economic Education, 16 Sept. 2020, fee.org/articles/george-floyd-riots-caused-record-setting-2-billion-in-damage-new-report-says-here-s-why-the-true-cost-is-even-higher/.