[Hac-announce] Request for assistance with legislative action

[Carol Siddall]

As we have not shared HAC's mailing list with the Secular Coalition for 
Connecticut, I am instead sharing this request with our announce list.

Most of Connecticut's 21 official oaths have already been modified to 
meet the standard set by the Supreme Court in 1961. This bill takes care 
of the remaining 6.  The bill shouldn't be controversial, but it's not 
terribly exciting or well-known, so it could really use some support. 
Please consider contacting your legislators as requested below.

This bill is close to my heart, as I was once a very uncomfortable notary.

Thank you for your consideration,

-Carol Siddall
President, Humanist Association of Connecticut



*PLEASE ask both your State Senator and State Representative to 
Co-Sponsor S.B. 484.*
See the sample email below.

*Bill link at CGA:* 
https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2019&bill_num=484

Attached are the bill texts and other information in support of the bill

Here is a link to find your legislators: 
https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp

*_Sample  email or phone call:_*

    Senator or Representative [insert last name],

    I am one of your constituents at [insert street address], one of
    perhaps 42 percent of your constituents that are non-religious.

      I request that you consider co-sponsoring Senate Bill 484, AN ACT
    CONCERNING THE FORM OF OATHS -To make the form of oaths consistent.
    https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB00484&which_year=2019
    Connecticut has 21 oaths explicitly defined in statute.  Fifteen of
    them are universal, inclusive oaths starting and ending with “I
    solemnly swear or affirm, as the case may be…so help me God or under
    penalty of perjury.  ”Most of them were changed to that form in a
    bill in 2002, yet 6 of them were not changed to conform to that
    standard.

    The 6 that remain are exclusive, they require everyone to swear and
    say only “so help me God.”  To take a meaningful oath in those cases
    a non-religious person must  “out” themselves and ask for an
    alternate oath. That asking and outing was ruled unconstitutional by
    the U.S. Supreme Court in 1961.

    It is time to change that. I have attached some additional
    information, including text of the submitted bill which is more
    detailed than the current official bill.

    Please let me know if you will co-sponsor or decline to co-sponsor
    S.B. 484.

    Thanks,
    /[insert your name]/
    /
    /
    /
    /
    -- 

Patrick McCann
Chair - Secular Coalition for Connecticut 
<https://www.facebook.com/Secular-Coalition-for-Connecticut-185961478196975/>

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