We Need Your Help, Now!
Hello MMCT Family!
As you know, Pamela and I along so many others have worked tirelessly around issues of police accountability, brutality and overreach. We have lead the way on a number of fronts over the last five to six years. In the midst of this national reckoning regarding policing, I believe here in Connecticut, we have the opportunity to do something significant.
The Connecticut General Assembly will go into special session tomorrow, July 23rd with the House beginning discussion/debate and with the Senate to begin on Tuesday, July 28th. During this time, legislators will vote on LCO #3471, “An Act Concerning Police Accountability.”
Pamela and I both submitted written testimony to the Judiciary Committee who held a listening session on Friday, July 17th for the bill. Here is the link to my written testimony https://moralmondayct.org/2020/07/22/bishop-jss-written-testimony-on-the-police-accountability-bill/ and here’s the link to Pamela’s written testimony https://moralmondayct.org/2020/07/22/pamela-selders-written-testimony-on-police-accountability/.
This bill includes some important things like banning qualified immunity for police and banning stop and frisk. And to be anticipated, the policing’s political machine is trying hard to stop this bill from passing, especially the most important parts like ending qualified immunity. Here a link on the ACLU’s very fine discussion of qualified immunity. https://www.acluct.org/en/news/what-qualified-immunity
Policing threatens Black and Brown people’s lives, and it has killed at least five people in Connecticut this year alone. Every legislator has a responsibility to stand up for Black and Brown lives and to value those lives over the policing lobby’s fearmongering.
Particularly, the following legislators need to here from folks in their districts,
- Rep. Joe Verrengia, (D) Proudly Serving West Hartford, Elmwood
- Rep. Alphonse Paolillo, (D) Proudly Serving New Haven
- Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, (D) Proudly Serving Bethel, Danbury, Newtown & Reading
- Rep. Jill Barry, (D) Proudly Serving Glastonbury
- Rep. Patrick Boyd, (D) Proudly Serving Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Union, Woodstock
- Rep. Henry Genga, (D) Proudly Serving East Hartford
- Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, (D) Deputy Majority Leader Proudly Serving Hartford
- Rep. Russ (Russell) Morin, (D) Deputy Speaker Proudly Serving Wethersfield
- Rep. Joseph Serra, (D) Proudly Serving Middletown
- Rep. Caroline Simmons, (D) Proudly Serving Stamford
- Rep. Brian Smith, (D) Proudly Serving Colchester, Lebanon, Mansfield, Windham
We need you to pause from your ordinary immediately and get in touch with your State Representative either by email or by phone telling them to take a step toward police accountability by passing LCO #3471 to include qualified immunity. Here is a link to find out who your State Representative is and their contact info. The link is https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp.
Thank you for your support!
Pamela Selders
Bishop JS
