HARRISBURG, Pa. – Protests over George Floyd's killing at the hands of Minneapolis police were raging across the country last June when a Democratic lawmaker took to the floor of the Pennsylvania Senate to argue for greater protections against racial discrimination.
Next week, nearly a year after Floyd's death, voters will decide whether to make those protections explicit in the state constitution.
It's believed to be the first time since last summer's protests that voters will decide a racial equity question on a statewide ballot.
Its effects, if approved by voters, are uncertain, but civil rights groups say it potentially could lead to policy changes in housing, policing, education and other areas.