(Hartford, Conn. WTIC)-To combat a surge in hate crimes in the state, Governor Ned Lamont has appointed 25-members to a Hate Crimes Advisory Council.
The members will work to encourage programs advising the community about hate crimes and the need to report them. The panel will recommend hate crimes legislation, restitution for victims and alternative sentencing programs for first-time offenders.
At a press conference, outside the state Capitol, Lamont said," That's why we take the incidents like the noose at the Windsor site and the swastika on the UConn campus so seriously. You let a little germ like that in and it takes over. We're not going to let that happen."
Governor Lamont is appointing the following members:
Co-chair: Douglas S. Lavine, Judge Trial Referee
Co-chair: Amy Lin Meyerson, President, Connecticut Bar Association
Corrie Betts, NAACP
Michael Bloom, Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut
Jason O. Chang, Asian American Studies Institute, UConn
Reverend Dr. Lindsay E. Curtis, Grace Baptist Church
Rabbi Michael Farbman, Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven
Andrew A. Feinstein, Feinstein Education Law Group, LLC
Steven D. Ginsburg, Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut
Erene Hammond, UnitedHealth Group
Steven Hernández, Commission on Women, Children, Seniors Equity & Opportunity
Rathanak M. Keo, #IAmNotAVirus
Tamara K. Lanier, NAACP, Connecticut Racial Profiling Project, ACLU Connecticut
Diana R. Lombardi, Connecticut Trans Advocacy Coalition
Duane J. Lovello, Director of Security, Yale University
Gary M. MacNamara, Public Safety & Government Affairs, Sacred Heart University
Robin P. McHaelen, True Colors
John P. Merz, Advancing Connecticut Together
Aida Monsoor, Coordinator, Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Hartford Seminary
Fernando J. Muñiz, Community Solutions, Inc.
MD Masudur Rahman, Marjars Sourcing, Inc.
Precious Price, Middletown Racial Justice Coalition
Sharad A. Samy, The Commonfund for Nonprofit Organizations
Jonathan S. Slifka, Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services
Richard A. Wilson, UConn School of Law
The nine ex-officio members, or their designees, include:
the Chief State’s Attorney;
the Chief Public Defender;
the commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection;
the president of the Connecticut Bar Association;
the president of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association;
the president of the South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut;
the president of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association;
the president of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association; and
the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.
