April 1, 2021
Senate Bill 753: An Act Concerning the Counting of Incarcerated Persons for Purposes of Determining Legislative Districts was voted out of committee this week.
If passed by the CT legislature, the bill would end the unfair practice of prison gerrymandering. LWVCT is working alongside the NAACP-CT, the ACLU of Connecticut, the Yale Rule of Law Clinic, and others to abolish this practice. See below to learn more.
Official Bill Page Text of Bill
The Goal:
If passed by the CT legislature, SB 753 would end prison gerrymandering. LWVCT is working alongside the NAACP-CT, the ACLU of Connecticut, the Yale Rule of Law Clinic, and others to abolish this undemocratic and unfair practice. See below the action item for more info.
Action:
Before April 21, please contact your state senator and ask them to 1) urge Senate Leadership to bring this bill to a vote and 2) vote “YES” on SB 753 when it is raised. CC Senate Leaders on your email to your Connecticut Senators.
Not sure who your State Senator is? FIND YOUR STATE SENATOR
Connecticut Senate Leadership |
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SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE: Martin M. Looney (D)New Haven
(860) 240-0375 Looney [at] senatedems.ct.gov
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SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Bob Duff (D) Norwalk
(860) 240-0414 Bob.Duff [at] cga.ct.gov
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SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER: Kevin C. Kelly (R) Stratford
(860) 240-8826 Kevin.Kelly [at] cga.ct.gov
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SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER PRO TEMPORE: Paul Formica (R) Niantic
(860) 240-8800 Paul.Formica [at] cga.ct.gov
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Sample language to adapt for an email, letter (or phone call):
Background: Why LWVCT is committed to abolishing Prison Gerrymandering
- Prison gerrymandering unfairly inflates the population and political power of districts in which prisons are located at the expense of urban areas, in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s “one person, one vote” standard.
- By counting incarcerated people in prison towns where they have no connections, prison gerrymandering effectively denies incarcerated people meaningful representation, and undermines their reentry into their home communities where they should be counted.
- Prison gerrymandering has a pronounced racial effect, harming people and communities of color.
- Legislation to end prison gerrymandering is funding-neutral. The current bill being considered this session to end prison gerrymandering, S.B. 753, applies only to redistricting, and not to funding.
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