Liu and Lavine Call for Passage of Their Legislation Requiring Jan 6 Education

ALBANY, NEW YORK – On the 5th anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection, State Senator John Liu (D-Bayside) and Assemblymember Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) are calling for the passage of their legislation to require New York public schools teach students about the true history of that fateful day.

President Trump has characterized the insurrection that resulted in the deaths of multiple people and injuries to multiple Capitol Police officers as a “day of love” and labeled the rioters as “patriots” and “hostages.” On his first day of office, Trump pardoned insurrectionists who were charged or convicted for their role in the attacks, even those convicted of violently assaulting police officers.

The legislation, S6123/ A3966, would require schools to include the instruction of the January 6, 2021 insurrection and its aftermath alongside existing required coursework in civic education and other historical events such as slavery and the Holocaust.

State Senator John Liu stated, “Five years after the Donald Trump-led Capitol insurrection, his administration continues to spin revisionist narratives to gaslight the American people into believing the events of that fateful day were somehow not a violent assault on our democracy. In an age when conspiracy theories are able to inspire and incite such wanton political violence, it is more important than ever that our schools equip the next generation with the truth, free from bias, and without prejudice, in order to protect our democracy.”

Assemblymember Charles Lavine stated, “This bill is only necessary due to President Trump’s all-out effort to erase the January 6th insurrection, which he personally led, along with many other inglorious moments in our history, from the memory of time. I sincerely hope that Americans of good faith will challenge the administration’s attempts to move our nation towards an autocracy by attempting to whitewash parts of our history and instead fulfill our nation’s solemn obligation to teach our children the truth. Without it, our struggle to establish a more perfect union and ability to remain, as Lincoln put it, ‘earth’s last best hope,’ is in mortal peril.”