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Action Alert -
Hate Crime Legislation
What --
Why -- Sample Letter
-- To Who
What:
Please call, email, fax or write the key Judiciary Committee Members [below]
to request that they raise, and pass, a
Hate Crime Bill this coming legislative session that includes both "Gender
Identity or Expression" and "Disability". This effort is being supported, as
last year, by the Connecticut Hate Crime Network. This actoin will only take a
few minutes of your time, yet the result of your actions could last a
lifetime! [Back to Top]
Why: Currently the Connecticut Hate
Crime Statutes do not include either of these categories, though it does
currently include the categories: race, religion, ethnicity and sexual
orientation. Last year this bill was raised [HB 6390] in the Judiciary
committee, though was not voted on. This year it is critically important that
this bill again be raised and passed out of the Judiciary Committee. As all
of you know, both classes of people routinely are victims of a variety of Hate
Crimes and it is important that legislation be passed to include them in
Connecticut's Hate Crime Statutes. Your taking a few minutes out of your day
today is critical to assure we let our Connecticut State Legislators recognize
the importance of taking action on such legislation this year! This is the
first of a number of critical grassroots steps we will be asking of you to
secure both raising and passage of this bill. Only through a unified and
grassroots action will we be successful. We have proven effective through our
numerous voices, unity and compassion for equality over the years and
now is our time to act again, please! For more details
regarding "gender identity or expression" and hate crimes, visit
http://hatecrime.transadvocacy.com [website to be completed later this
week]. [Back to Top]
Sample Letter to send:
As a
Connecticut resident, I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor a bill which
Senator’s Kissel and Prague co-sponsored last session – Bill 6390, An Act
Concerning Hate Crimes. This proposed legislation is crafted to expand our
State’s Hate Crime statutes to include both “Gender Identity or Expression”
and “Disability”.
It is vital to myself and many other citizens of Connecticut that this bill be
raised and passed this legislative session in its entirety. It is well known
that Hate Crimes based upon biases against both of these classes are routine
and range from simple harassment to the most serious acts of hate, violence
and prejudice – Murder. Unfortunately, many of these hate crimes often go
unrecognized, unreported and unprosecuted.
By co-sponsoring this legislation, you can express with one voice your
commitment to ending brutal, hate-motivated violence. We know that while
legislation alone cannot remove hatred from the hearts and minds of
individuals, hate crimes legislation can help to create a society where
hate-motivated violence is deemed intolerable.
Please become a co-sponsor of this bill. I look forward to hearing your
response. If there is anything I, or my colleagues can do to assist you in
this important matter, do not hesitate to contact me directly.
[Back to Top]
Who
We urge you to contact, at a minimum, the two co-chairs of the
Judiciary Committee and hopefully all those listed below:
State Senator Andrew J. McDonald, Judiciary Committee Chair
E-mail: McDonald@senatedems.state.ct.us
Phone:
1-800-842-1420 (Capitol)
203-348-7439 (Home)
State Representative Mike Lawlor, Judiciary Committee Chair
E-mail: MLawlor99@juno.com
Phone:
(860) 240-0530 or toll-free at 1-800-842-8267 (Capitol)
(203) 469-9725 (Home)
State Senator Christopher Murphy, Judiciary Committee Vice Chair
E-mail: Murphy@senatedems.state.ct.us
Phone:
860-240-0567, or toll-free at 1-800-842-1420 (Capitol)
State Representative Christopher R. Stone, Judiciary Committee Vice
Chair
E-mail:
Christopher.Stone@po.state.ct.us
Phone:
(860) 240-8585, or toll-free at 1-800-842-8267 (Capitol)
(860) 568-4060 (Home)
State Senator John A. Kissel, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member
E-mail: John.A.Kissel@po.state.ct.us
Phone:
(860) 240-0531 (Work)
(860) 745-0668 (Home)
State Representative Robert Farr, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member
E-mail: Robert.Farr@housegop.state.ct.us
Phone:
1-800-842-1423 (Capitol)
860-233-6336 (Business)
860-236-0175 (Home)
Judiciary Committee Website...
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/jud/
[Back to Top]
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