Task Force on Racial Disparities more about scoring political points than getting things done

We speculated at the time it was little more than a smoke screen. Newly uncovered emails show we were right. Back in May after the death of George Floyd, people took to the streets and demanded change. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also wanted change, proposing a series of legislation designed to rein in police behavior by banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants. But Republicans who control the Legislature wouldn’t even consider Evers’ plans, instead forming what they called a Task Force on Racial Disparities. Now, thanks to an open records request, an email sent by Rep. Jim Steineke barely a day after Floyd’s death shows there was more interest in appearing to get things done than actually getting things done. The email talks of making it look like the Legislature is acting, but makes no mention of the goals or the plans to accomplish them. And so far, despite the racial tensions that continue, despite the fact that Wisconsin incarcerates black men at the highest rate in the country, the group has failed to meet its self-imposed deadline for coming up with recommendations. Even if they do make recommendations, there is no guarantee they will ever be voted on by the Legislature. It seems more clear than ever that the Wisconsin Legislature never really intended to fix any problems, but simply to make it appear they were.