Sen. Martin on the Senate Democrats’ “Fix” on Clean Slate Bill

HARTFORD – Senator Henri Martin (R-Bristol) issued the following statement in response to the Senate Democrats’ stark and unexpected policy reversal on the Democratic caucus’s progressive “Clean Slate” legislation, which passed the Senate last week along strict party lines for and stalled due to House Democrats’ reservations.

“This so-called ‘Fix’ took place because the Senate Democratic-majority chose not to heed the warnings laid out by Senate Republicans via a series of amendments to the originally discussed bill last week. It took the House Democrats’ hesitation to take up the bill to signify that this measure goes too far. So, while it took an unorthodox method to bring this policy to at least an improved place, I suppose the end justifies the means. Perhaps this will encourage Senate Democrats to give more consideration to alternative points of view in future discussions,” said Sen. Martin.

Examples of crimes that Senate Democrats voted to expunge from a criminal record in the original bill included:

• Strangulation or suffocation 2nd degree
• Stalking 1st degree
• Assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, or pregnant person or person with intellectual disability 2nd degree
• Assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, or pregnant person or person with intellectual disability 2nd degree with a firearm
• Assault 2nd degree (not resulting in serious physical injury)
• Assault 2nd degree with a firearm (not resulting in serious physical injury)
• Criminal violation of protective order
• Criminal violation of standing criminal protective order
• Criminal violation of restraining order
• Threatening 1st degree
• Sexual assault 3rd degree (victim age 16 or older)
• Sexual assault 4th degree (victim under age 16)
• Burglary 3rd degree with a firearm
• Possessing child pornography 3rd degree
• Abuse of an elderly, blind, or disabled person or person with intellectual disability 2nd degree

The above crimes have since been added back to the list of crimes NOT ELIGIBLE for erasure through last night’s legislation.