Month: May 2018
Sen. Winfield Applauds Senate Passage of Minority Teacher Recruitment Bill
Sen. Winfield Applauds Senate Passage of Minority Teacher Recruitment Bill
HARTFORD— Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) today voted in favor of a bill that will help diversify classroom staff across Connecticut by codifying the work of the Minority Teacher Recruitment Oversight Council to enhance minority teacher recruitment and retention throughout the state. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and now heads to the House for consideration.
“Our teachers should reflect the diversity of our state. This isn’t just important for minority students it’s important for all of us. Teachers help shape the minds of our young people and have a lasting impact on every person they touch. When students of all races see teachers of color in front of the classroom it helps to challenge implicit biases and improve their educational experience,” Sen. Winfield said. “With that said, this bill is especially important for black and brown students. In Connecticut, students of color make up more than a third of the population in our classrooms but only seven percent of our teachers identify as non-white. Studies have shown that students are more successful when their teacher reflects their own racial or ethnic group. In addition, the gap in school dropout and passing rates between white and minority students fall by roughly half when students are taught by a minority instructor.”
Senate Bill 455 requires the Department of Education to take certain actions to recruit and retain minority teachers, amend its regulations relating to teacher certification, issue a provisional educator certificate to certain holders of charter school educator permits, and issue an initial educator certificate to applicants who have passed a relevant examination or completed advanced coursework, and to revise the membership of the minority teacher recruitment and retention task force.
Senator Looney Leads Senate Passage of Bill to Help Reverse Wrongful Convictions and Incarceration
Senator Looney Leads Senate Passage of Bill to Help Reverse Wrongful Convictions and Incarceration
HARTFORD, CT – Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) today helped lead unanimous Senate passage of Senate Bill 509, An Act Concerning Newly Discovered Evidence. The bill updates Connecticut law to accommodate advances in the methods and kinds of forensic evidence found to be foundationally valid by the scientific community in order to reverse wrongful convictions.
Senate Bill 509 amends Connecticut law to permit a convicted person to petition for a new trial based on newly discovered forensic evidence without being subject to the current three year time limit on non-DNA evidence. DNA testing is not the only science that can provide proof of a person’s innocence, and our law should keep up to date with scientific advancements. Senate Bill 509 would allow a judge to grant a new trial upon a showing that forensic evidence not available at the time of the original trial would have likely led to a different outcome.
“In keeping with the intent of our current law permitting a new trial for newly discovered DNA evidence, this provision will establish a way for the wrongfully convicted to use newly discovered forensic evidence,” said Senator Looney. “DNA evidence has led to hundreds of exonerations nationally of individuals unjustly imprisoned based upon unreliable evidence, faulty testimony by expert witnesses, and subjective opinions of scientists whose methods lack validity.”
In 2000, in order to keep pace with scientific advancements, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing convicted individuals to petition our courts for a new trial based on newly discovered DNA evidence.
In 2002, an FBI re‑examination of hair comparisons showing matches in criminal cases determined that 11 percent of those samples came from a different individual. The FBI has since stopped using the hair comparison method now proven unreliable only after submitting reports and testimony in nearly 3,000 trials.
Looney E-News: Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Sen. Gerratana E-news: Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Sen. Moore E-News: Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Senator Beth Bye Recognized Again as Best Community Leader
Senator Beth Bye Recognized Again as Best Community Leader
WEST HARTFORD—For the second time, state Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) has been named as Hartford Magazine’s top “Community Leader” in an online survey of 207,000 readers covering 200 different categories.
“Each year we poll our readers for the Best of Hartford in scores of categories covering bars, restaurants, shopping, health, entertainment and more. Thousands of people vote and we carefully tally the results,” according to the magazine website. “Deputy Majority Leader Beth Bye of West Hartford is the winner in our always hotly contested community leader category.”
“Connecticut has an informed and educated electorate, so I really appreciate the support from everyone who takes the time to follow public policy in Connecticut and who voted for me,” Sen. Bye said. “I’m very proud of my work encouraging economic development, like high-speed broadband networks, that keeps our economy moving forward. I’m also not afraid to put myself out there on important and sometimes controversial issues, whether it be the minimum wage, paid family medical leave, open government, equal rights for women and minorities, or educational opportunities for all. I’m happy the public supports my work in Hartford.”
Hartford Magazine is delivered to more than 65,000 residents in 16 towns, including Manchester, Glastonbury, Windsor, Newington, Hartford, West Hartford and South Windsor.
Full results of the poll can be online.
Winfield Applauds Senate Passage of Bill Ensuring Fair Treatment of Incarcerated Women
Winfield Applauds Senate Passage of Bill Ensuring Fair Treatment of Incarcerated Women
Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven) today applauded Senate passage of bill that will strengthen Connecticut’s efforts to bring fairness and dignity to incarcerated women.
“Today we codify the practices of the Department of Corrections that recognize what some call the ‘special’ needs of women. But the needs of incarcerated women aren’t special. They are just as normal as the needs of our male inmates and our policies should reflect that. The problem is, that in the 1980’s the number of incarcerated women began to increase, but practices in our prison— many of which were designed for men— were never updated to take into account the needs of women,” Sen. Winfield said. “Every woman deserves to give birth safely, to have access to hygiene products, and to be protected from unnecessary voyeurism. This legislation will help codify specialized training and female-centered policies that will ensure more respectful, humane treatment for women who are incarcerated in our state.”
Senate Bill 13—An Act Concerning Fair Treatment of Incarcerated Women, will:
- Prohibit shackling of pregnant inmates during labor;
- Require the Department of Correction (DOC) to provide female inmates with feminine hygiene products at no cost;
- Require DOC to establish child friendly visitation policies;
- Prohibit non-medical staff of the opposite gender from viewing or interfering with incarcerated women engaged in personal activities such as undressing, using toilet facilities, or showering;
- Require DOC to establish and provide parenting support as well as pre-natal and post-partum services and supports;
- Require DOC, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Court Support Services Division of the judicial branch to utilize a gender responsible approach to risk assessment strategies that recognizes the unique risks and needs of female offenders;
- Enhance requirements for gender-specific and trauma-related trainings for correctional staff; and
- Require DOC to develop and implement a policy regarding transgender inmates.
The legislation next moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Flexer Leads Senate Passage of Bill Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Flexer Leads Senate Passage of Bill Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
State Senator Mae Flexer (D-Danielson) led a unanimous and bipartisan state Senate vote this evening on a bill that would require a police officer responding to a domestic violence incident to arrest the “dominant aggressor” in the situation and dramatically reduce the rates of so-called “dual arrests” where police arrest both parties when responding to a domestic violence call. Connecticut’s dual arrest rate in domestic incidents is 20 percent, which is nearly three times higher than the national average of 7 percent.
According to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, dual arrests have been found to decrease victim safety by decreasing a victim’s willingness to call police for assistance. Dual arrests also have financial consequences, traumatize children, and overburden our courts.
“For far too long, Connecticut has been arresting domestic violence victims at rates that lead the nation. Unwarranted arrests can cause trauma for the victim and their families and lead to financial instability and distrust of the criminal justice system. These arrests can also hinder prosecution and overload our courts,” Sen. Flexer said. “Law enforcement officers need to be permitted to recognize and arrest the dominant aggressors in these dangerous situations. This will allow law enforcement to arrest only the party they deem to pose the most serious, ongoing threat. By passing this legislation we are telling victims of domestic violence that they can call the police and ask for their help without fear of being arrested and empower them to become survivors.”
In an effort to reduce the number of dual arrests, the bill defines a “dominant aggressor” as the person who poses the most serious, ongoing threat in a situation involving a suspected family violence crime. To determine who the dominant aggressor is, a police officer must consider the need to protect domestic violence victims; whether one person acted in self-defense or in defense of a third person; the relative degree of any injury; threats creating fear of physical injury; and any history of family violence between the people involved.
Under existing law, and unchanged by the bill, the officer’s decision to arrest and charge the perpetrator must not be based on getting the victim’s specific consent, the relationship of the parties, or solely on a victim’s request.
Also under existing state law, an officer investigating a family violence incident must not threaten to arrest all parties to discourage any of them from requesting law enforcement intervention.
The bill now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
Senator Bye Joins Unanimous Vote to Define ‘Dominant Aggressor’ in Domestic Violence Incidents
Senator Bye Joins Unanimous Vote to Define ‘Dominant Aggressor’ in Domestic Violence Incidents
HARTFORD – State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford) joined a unanimous and bipartisan state Senate vote this evening on a bill that would require a police officer responding to a domestic violence incident to arrest the “dominant aggressor” in the situation.
The bill seeks to discourage the practice of so-called “dual arrests” where police arrest both a man and a woman (for instance) when responding to a domestic violence call; Connecticut’s dual arrest rate in domestic incidents is 20 percent, which is three times higher than the national average of 7 percent.
According to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, dual arrests have been found to decrease victim safety by decreasing a victim’s willingness to call police for assistance. Dual arrests also have financial consequences, traumatize children, and overburden our courts.
“The 40,000 victims of domestic violence in Connecticut are going to benefit from this bill, because no longer will victims fear the unnecessary dual arrests that are so common in this state,” Sen. Bye said. “Domestic violence cases are already one-third of our criminal dockets. If this bill becomes law we can streamline court operations, protect the innocent, and achieve a higher level of justice by arresting dominant aggressors.”
In an effort to reduce the number of dual arrests, the bill defines a “dominant aggressor” as the person who poses the most serious, ongoing threat in a situation involving a suspected family violence crime. To determine who the dominant aggressor is, a police officer must consider the need to protect domestic violence victims; whether one person acted in self-defense or in defense of a third person; the relative degree of any injury; threats creating fear of physical injury; and any history of family violence between the people involved.
Under existing law, and unchanged by the bill, the officer’s decision to arrest and charge the perpetrator must not be based on getting the victim’s specific consent, the relationship of the parties, or solely on a victim’s request.
Also under existing state law, a peace officer investigating a family violence incident must not threaten to arrest all parties to discourage any of them from requesting law enforcement intervention.
The bill now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.