News & Commentary

Smart Justice leader Will Roberts testified before the Government Administration and Elections Committee hearing today in support of H.B. 6578, bill that would restore the right to vote for people who are on parole in Connecticut. Here is what he told the committee:

"There is no reason State’s Attorneys should be exempt from public accountability. Their job is to represent the interests of the people of Connecticut. All of Connecticut: that includes incarcerated and formally incarcerated individuals. People like me."

"Living a life with a criminal record has been a challenge I don’t think anyone can understand unless they’ve experienced it firsthand."

History could keep repeating itself without rules to start holding state’s attorneys to commonsense best practices.

In our state, the top prosecutors in each judicial district go for eight years without any external oversight. A bill in the legislature could change that.

Connecticut needs to pass HB 6474.

Opponents of trans rights have moved from attacking trans students in restrooms to attacking trans students in sports, including in Connecticut.

If Connecticut decriminalizes cannabis, it must include steps to repair the harms of the past and to prevent future harm. Although we support its concept of decriminalizing cannabis, the Governor's cannabis bill, as introduced, unfortunately falls short on both decriminalization and equity.

In 2021, Connecticut's legislature has a chance to pass bills that could bring our state's voting laws into the 21st century by letting voters decide whether to create early voting and no-excuse absentee voting in our state. Here is our testimony on those bills.