Axios: Congress closes in on cocaine sentencing disparity
Congress is on the cusp of eliminating the federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine crimes, which has led to the disproportionate incarceration of Black people — and whose elimination would free thousands from prison.
Why it matters: Republican receptiveness to this targeted legislation is an indication of the potential for bipartisan criminal justice reform, despite the GOP's law-and-order posture and "tough-on-crime" rhetoric.
Driving the news: On Monday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) became the 11th Republican to sign onto the Senate bill — the EQUAL Act.
He joined a wide-ranging cast, from Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
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How it happened: The legislation received early support from the law enforcement community, including chiefs of police departments.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican, also proved crucial for building support within his party — including with Blunt.
Hutchinson led the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under President George W. Bush.
"It's time to review this problem and see if we can come to a conclusion," Blunt told Axios. "I think there's a growing effort to get that done."
"There was not a meeting we had [with a Republican lawmaker] that did not have a law-enforcement voice in the room," Holly Harris, president and executive director of the Justice Action Network, told Axios.