On the Long Path
I write to express my gratitude for our representatives, State Senator Christine Cohen (D-12) and State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-98), because of their hard work leading up to and during this past special session of the legislature. Sean championed two essential healthcare bills from his committee to cap the costs of insulin and allow clinicians to be fully reimbursed for telemedicine. Christine and Sean both supported another critical health-related bill that allows fear of COVID-19 to be a valid reason for requesting absentee ballots. This is so essential for the elderly, like me, and those with other health issues, to avoid the perils of in-person-voting.
I am particularly delighted to see Christine and Sean stand firm in the face of strong opposition to support the police reform bill. Both realized that the concerns of the urban minority communities are real, even if we don’t experience them here in the 12th Senate District. The cancer known as systemic racism has been built into our government and culture over centuries. It is so commonplace that we predominantly white residents of the 12th District likely don’t appreciate how much we benefit at the expense of minorities.
Christine and Sean understand that the good will expressed by white allies in recent and ongoing protests needs to be followed by strong action. They seized the momentum provided by this moment to support a major first step. Like all major initiatives, this one will need revision as we gain experience with it. We can rely on Christine and Sean to keep us on the long path to improved race relations throughout our state.
Larry Rizzolo
Guilford