Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence officially accepted the nomination as Donald Trump‘s vice presidential running mate.
Though Trump has lauded the republican governor for jobs, school funding and tax cuts, Pence has been targeted by Black activists for his position on a few key issues that negatively effect Black people. Here are three things you should know about the Indiana Governor before casting your vote this fall for the duo, according to News One Now:
1. Indiana has tough voter suppression laws.
Though Pence says he admires Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the state he governs makes it difficult for voters to cast their votes, says Think Progress. “The state only kept polling places open until 6 p.m. during the May primary, although most states keep their polls open to 8 p.m. or even later. Indiana doesn’t have any laws that require employers to allow workers to leave work to go vote.”
2. Reportedly, Indiana fails Black children in education.
Indiana lawmakers have been accused of re-segregating and under-funding schools by groups like Moral Mondays, who call it “extreme and immoral.”
Since 1992, Black children have not made progress on the National Assessment on Educational Practice. Indiana led the way in establishing charter schools and vouchers for attendees while budgets for public education have been cut significantly. Charter schools are located in large urban communities in the State and are overwhelmingly Black in attendance, their test scores are no better than public schools. Indiana leads the country on suspensions of Black males (report on Disparities in School Discipline released last March) for minor infractions.
3. Pence supports the death penalty.
Though many people across the country, in numerous states, have tried to eliminate the death penalty, which impacts people of color more, the governor still supports the practice strongly, says the news site.
According to Bustle, during a February 2014 CNN governor’s panel, when asked if Indiana would consider removing the death penalty from its law, Pence said: “I don’t see that prospect in the state of Indiana. I support the death penalty. I believe justice demands it in our most heinous cases.”
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