HARTFORD – House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and State Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, ranking member of the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee, issued a joint statement in response to majority Democrats on the Judiciary Committee failing to advance SB 390, An Act Concerning Penalties for Certain Election Crimes.
The legislation, proposed and supported by House and Senate Republicans, would provide a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of twelve months that may not be suspended or reduced for certain felony violations of election laws.
"It's profoundly disappointing. It seems as if Democrats will pay only lip service to keeping our elections clean and addressing serious alleged violations that have been caught on tape. Keep in mind, SB 390 was wholeheartedly supported by the very agency that has oversight of violations of election laws, the State Elections Enforcement Commission."
"Meanwhile, House Republicans this session introduced amendments that would have stopped the use of absentee ballot drop boxes and instituted mandatory minimums for election crimes, real steps that would restore confidence back to voters who, more and more, are feeling as though their vote does not count. Those amendments largely failed along party lines."
