Winners for Connecticut

We have seen how hard it can be to get timely and essential legislation out of our state and national capitals. But the Connecticut Legislature has come together in a productive special session to craft, debate and pass two July 2020 laws—protecting the health of November voters in the age of Covid-19 and strengthening police accountability.

For this second law, think of our State Representative in the 64th — Maria Horn. Commend Maria Horn for her energy, her leadership and, perhaps above all, for her listening and negotiating skills in helping bring An Act Concerning Police Accountability (HB 6004) to a vote and the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Many families, like ours, include police officers who risk their lives to serve us so ably. But no officers and no civilians were served by the Minneapolis policeman (with 18 previous complaints on file) whose knee pressed on the neck for over 8 minutes killed George Floyd. So Connecticut’s laws needed clearer procedures for removing and decertifying that small fraction of police officers with multiple and serious charges of improper conduct.

Representative Horn approaches police accountability as a human issue and not a political issue. Drawing on her background as a federal prosecutor and serving on the Judiciary Committee in Hartford, Maria was there throughout HB 6004. The bill’s detail runs 71 pages causing her to argue forcibly and successfully on this Committee for a one-year examination of the law’s impact on municipalities before it goes into effect. Both the 64th District and our State are well served by Maria Horn and the informed hard work she brings to the job.

William Bachrach, Kent