New York should adopt Assembly Bill A3289 and Senate Bill S888 and Connecticut should adopt Senate Bill 244, all of which would help prevent insurrectionists from serving in office in those states. 

CREW Press Secretary Jenna Grande testified in support of Connecticut’s proposed Senate Bill 244 on March 10, 2023: 

Protecting our democracy from those who wish to overthrow it is not a theoretical concern. To date, the Department of Justice has brought criminal charges against over 900 individuals who participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Amongst those are over 50 people from the state of New York who have been charged in relation to their conduct on January 6th and over 30 who have so far pled guilty or been convicted of crimes related to the insurrection; many others are awaiting trial.  Although Connecticut has a comparably smaller percentage of residents who participated in the insurrection, to date there are five individuals who have been charged, pled guilty, or been convicted of felonies related to the Capitol attack. 

The January 6th insurrection was a shameful day for our nation. The fact that individuals who participated in that attack continue to serve in government throughout the country represents an acute threat to the future vitality of our democracy. These legislatures should pass this important democracy preservation legislation.

Photo by Nate Gowdy.

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