State Legislature Declares Racism is a Public Health Crisis

As millions took to the streets one year ago despite the pandemic in horror at the public lynching of George Floyd in Minnesota, the issues of systemic racism in healthcare and policing came to the fore. A determination swept the country to demand action toward equity at every level of government, including the declaration that racism is a public health crisis with policy initiatives for reconstruction.

This week the Connecticut State Legislature sent SB 1 to Governor Lamont's desk declaring that racism is a public health crisis in Connecticut. It is up to the Governor to sign this bill into law.

Earlier this year the New Haven Board of Alders also adopted a resolution that racism is a public health crisis and set up a special committee to come back with recommendations on actions that the city should take in all aspects of life.

Also earlier this year the CDC issued a statement which declared, in part, that “racism, both structural and interpersonal, are fundamental causes of health inequities, health disparities and disease.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the wide, long term health and quality of life disparities in communities of color. Studies have shown that Black women are up to four times more likely to die of pregnancy related complications than white women; Black men are more than twice as likely to be killed by police as white men; and the average life expectancy of Black Americans is four years lower than the rest of the U.S. population.

“It is long past time that we address these disparities,” said Rep Juan Candelaria of New Haven one of 60 co-sponsors of the bill. “I was proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this comprehensive bill which takes substantive steps towards addressing the systemic inequities that exist in our state.”

Beyond identifying the racism as a public health crisis, S.B. 1 also includes a number of provisions aimed at addressing and combating this public health crisis such as:

• Creating a Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health to make recommendations to decrease racism’s effect on public health and to create a strategic plan to eliminate health disparities and inequities

• Improving recruitment and retention of healthcare workers of color

• Providing employers with tools to support their mental health needs

• Establishing a gun violence intervention and prevention committee

• Improving demographic data collection

  https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2021&bill_num=1

Hundreds of people came out to testify via zoom at the public hearing on SB 1. Now, the organizations that spearheaded the effort are asking Connecticut residents to call the office of Governor Lamont at 860-566-4840 and leave a message that it is essential that he sign the bill, and also sign SB 1019 the Clean Slate bill.

As the legislative session reaches its last days, calls to the governor are also being organized to demand that he support the Recovery for All agenda. As State Sen Gary Winfield put it, “equity requires revenue.” To date the Governor is refusing to support tax increases on the wealthiest who pay a lower rate than everyone else, and who prospered during the pandemic.

Along with SB 1, the legislature's Black and Puerto Rican Caucus prioritized nine pillars toward equity in this session. Among them is a bill passed by the legislature and waiting for Gov Lamont to sign into law that would ensure legal representation for tenants in eviction cases.

As the expiration of the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures nears on June 20, this bill has immediate consequences for hundreds of families.

The caucus explained that “in Connecticut, less than 7% of tenants have legal representation in eviction cases. In contrast, 80% of landlords do. At a moment when so much is at stake, tenants need support navigating the highly technical and fast-moving pace of eviction cases, This bill provides tenants with fairness and equity by guaranteeing they can obtain legal representation. If signed into law, Connecticut will be only the second state to enact this legislation to protect tenants.”

More information is available at the Connecticut Fair Housing Center: https://www.ctfairhousing.org/blog/