
Faith leaders urge Braun to condemn Beckwith's remarks on Three-Fifths Compromise
The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, a group founded as part of the Civil Rights Movement, is asking Gov. Mike Braun to condemn Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith's statement that the Three-Fifths Compromise was "a great move." The 18th century law counted an enslaved person as 60% of a free person.
The agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention counted an enslaved person as three-fifths of a person when measuring states' populations for taxation and congressional representation. The measure was rendered unconstitutional in 1868 by the 14th Amendment , which granted equal protection and due process to all American citizens.
Beckwith's statements came after an emotional debate over Senate Bill 289 on April 24. The bill curbs diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, allowing people to sue publicly-funded schools or government entities if they're required to undergo trainings that use a characteristic like race or sex to blame one group of people for actions in the past.
During the debate, opponents said the bill ignores the U.S.'s historical legacy of discrimination, citing examples such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, Jim Crow laws and real estate redlining.
After Thursday's debate, Beckwith took to X to post a video that he called a history lesson for Indiana's Senate Democrats. In the clip, which is just under four minutes long, Beckwith sits on the edge of his desk and speaks directly to the camera, arguing that the Three-Fifths Compromise actually worked against slavery rather than promoting it.
"I would like to share with you, the Three-Fifths Compromise is not a pro-discrimination compromise. It was not a pro-discrimination or a slave-driving compromise that the founders made. It was actually just the opposite," Beckwith says.
The compromise gave slave states less representation than they would have had if slaves were counted as people, preventing the constitutional enshrinement of slavery, he argues.
He does not address the fact that the law increased slaveholding states' representation in U.S. Congress relative to their number of voters, making it difficult — if not impossible — to pass an amendment abolishing slavery.
In their statement condemning Beckwith's interpretation of history, members of the faith coalition demanded Braun publicly denounce the remarks, mandate that Beckwith issue a formal retraction as well as an apology and affirm Indiana's commitment to an accurate education of history.
"This language is not merely insensitive, it is an affront to human dignity and an echo of a racist ideology that sought to legitimize the inhuman treatment of Black people in America," a Friday news release from the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis reads in part.
Beckwith — who is himself a pastor — has landed in hot water over social media activity before.
A Feb. 6 post also about Senate Bill 289, which described "taxpayer-funded race hustling," caused a stir on the Senate floor. In October 2024, during his campaign for the lieutenant governor position, Beckwith called his female election opponent a "Jezebel spirit," while in a livestreamed interview, referring to the Bible's archetypal evil woman.
Senate Bill 289 has passed through both chambers of the Indiana legislature with the House voting 64-26 and the Senate voting 34-16. It now awaits Braun's signature.
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Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Trump using L.A. unrest to push his big bill in D.C.
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Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
What to watch in New Jersey's primary election for governor
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Richard Blumenthal Reveals Trump 'Martial Law' Fear
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said he is concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump will use the unrest in Los Angeles as a "pretext" for "imposing martial law". Blumenthal is working on legislation to limit presidential powers for troop deployments inside the U.S., an issue he has raised before. He wants to overhaul the Insurrection Act of 1792, seeing it as too broad in scope. Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, in defiance of the wishes of state and local leaders, after protests against federal immigration raids descended into riots and looting. "As Trump moves to expand military deployments, possibly using protests in L.A. as a pretext for more broadly silencing free speech or even imposing martial law, I'll be reintroducing reforms to the Insurrection Act that check potential abuse or overreach," Blumenthal posted to X, formerly Twitter, late Monday. The Democratic Senator told POLITICO separately: "The mainstream of America really believes deeply that our military should be used to defend our national interests and security, not to silence protest at home." He had previously talked of overhauling the Insurrection Act in 2024 after Trump said he would consider sending the military into American cities to deal with crime and violence. Among the Senate committees to which Blumenthal is a member are the judiciary, homeland security, and armed services. This is a developing article. Updates to follow.