Washington, D.C.—National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) President Wisconsin and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), and NCSL President-Elect and Hawaii Speaker of the House Scott Saiki (D) jointly release the following statement.
“We stand together, and with the vast majority of Americans, to condemn acts of hate and violence based on a person’s ethnic background, nationality, beliefs or for any reason. Recent attacks demonstrate that hate crimes based on someone’s race sadly continue. And preliminary data suggest that these crimes are increasing for some communities. We avidly believe that we must work together within democratic institutions, especially legislatures, to have civil debates and tackle America’s most difficult issues. Hate speech and violence are unacceptable and only serve to deepen divisions and harm innocent people. We all want a country where people of all races overcome hate and bigotry and work to create a culture where Americans stand for one another, regardless of background."
Saiki adds this personal note: “As an Asian American, I am particularly concerned with the increase in violence and hate speech directed at our community. As a leader in my state, and for the nation’s organization of the state and territorial legislatures, I remain committed to working to end violence and hate targeting any American and especially the nation’s more than 22 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders people.”