Orange County Democrats say Black Lives Matter, social justice resolution watered down by GOP

Democratic legislators say a resolution drafted last summer by Democrats to show solidarity with the movement and address social and racial injustice is now being watered down by the Republican majority.

News 12 Staff

Jan 27, 2021, 11:14 PM

Updated 1,350 days ago

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A legislative resolution in support of social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement is raising controversy among Orange County legislators.
Democratic legislators say a resolution drafted last summer by Democrats to show solidarity with the movement and address social and racial injustice is now being watered down by the Republican majority.
They say the Republican-led Legislature instead has now submitted a revised version – removing any reference to Black Lives Matter – and including statements condemning anti-Semitism.
Democratic lawmakers say while anti-Semitism is a concern, the resolution was created to specifically address injustices faced by other minority groups.
“For us, it was about saying just that – Black Lives Matter. That’s not saying that other lives don’t matter. It’s to highlight that unfortunately, historically, we’ve not done enough for Black and brown communities," says Orange County Legislator Kevindaryan Lujan.
News 12 reached out to Republican Majority Leader Katie Bonelli, but the request for comment was not returned.
The Legislature is expected to vote on the resolution Feb. 4.