nothin Philly Mayor Defends Clinton On Crime Bill | New Haven Independent

Philly Mayor Defends Clinton On Crime Bill

Aliyya Swaby Photo

Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said Hillary Clinton’s take on criminal justice has progressed in the last couple of decades, making her uniquely poised to be the next president.

Nutter joined Mayor Toni Harp on Long Wharf to stump for the presidential candidate Friday morning, less than two weeks before Connecticut’s primary election April 26.

Clinton was one of many politicians at the time to support then-President Bill Clinton’s 1994 federal crime bill — which many now agree led to an expanded prison system that over-incarcerated minorities for low-level offenses. Young black voters have pressed the Clintons to defend their support of the bill — and her use of the term superpredator” in reference to young offenders — coming to a head when Black Lives Matter protesters confronted Bill Clinton at an event last week.

Nutter grew up in Philadelphia and was a member of City Council in 1994. We need to take a step back and think about what was going on,” he said.

He joined Clinton supporters in arguing the bill was a response to black communities’ calls for legislation to end the crack cocaine epidemic and gang violence ravaging their neighborhoods.

But he added that Clinton has since acknowledged there were problems” with the bill.

Nutter criticized the press for focusing on Clinton’s support for her husband’s legislation when she wasn’t in office, while not asking U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to defend his support for the bill as a legislator.

At the same time, he said, no one can dispute that crime went down during that time, neighborhoods became safer and lives were saved because of the decrease in gun violence during that time.”

Contributed Photo

FF BFFS: Nutter and Mayor Toni Harp with New Haven firefighters Friday.

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