A racial impact statement, like a fiscal impact statement, is a tool to aid legislators in detecting unintended and unforeseen disparate impacts of proposed legislation prior to adoption and implementation.
LD 2, An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process, has been enacted by the Maine State Legislature and signed by Governor Mills. Maine joins seven other states in requiring racial impact statements.
The April 1 Forum featured a distinguished panel that included:
- Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, the sponsor of LD 2;
- Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Professor and Associate Dean, Northeastern University School of Law;
- Meagan Sway, Policy Director of the Maine ACLU; and
- Angela Onwauachi-Willig, Dean of Boston University School of Law.
The event was moderated by second-year Maine Law student, Schadrac Joseph.
