Legislation

In the U.S., serving on a jury is a basic function of citizenship. By excluding people with certain records from jury service, Connecticut is also denying criminal defendants their constitutional right to a jury of their peers drawn from a fair cross-section of the community.

Our support for full decriminalization is strengthened by the racist history of enforcement of cannabis offenses in Connecticut.

Black Connecticut residents were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than whites,6 despite similar rates of cannabis use to white residents.

Highly militarized police units, like SWAT teams, turn communities into war zones. Neighborhoods are not battlegrounds and no arm of the government should be treating us like wartime enemies.

People should not be counted as residents of the community in which they are incarcerated because they do not decide where they will be imprisoned.

Today, there is widespread recognition that addiction is, fundamentally, an illness to be treated.

We strongly encourage the committee to oppose Section 20 of Senate Bill 2, although we support the increased mental health care access and fee-free early childhood interventions proposed by this bill and take no position on the remainder of Senate Bill 2.

Information about unsuccessful and pending eviction suits against a person are certainly sensitive and private information. This type of information can be used to harm a person.

For too long, patients in Connecticut have been denied dignity. House Bill 6398 represents a small, but real, step forward on that front.