LINCOLN, NE - Governor Jim Pillen has joined 25 other Republican governors calling for passage of legislation in the U.S. Senate reinforcing Jewish civil rights. The unified message comes ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israeli and American citizens. The letter draws attention to the recent deaths of hostages and the dozens more still held captive, as well as the rising acts of antisemitism in the United States.

 

The letter, addressed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, requests passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) which codifies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.  In May, that legislation received strong bipartisan support and was passed in the U.S. House.

 

Quickly following last year’s attack by Hamas, Gov. Pillen issued a proclamation affirming the state’s adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and directed all state code agencies charged with enforcing non-discrimination laws to utilize the definition when investigating complaints of anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination. At the same time, he requested that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) review personnel and procurement policies, to further ensure the state’s stance against antisemitism.

 

Other states signing the letter to U.S. Senator Schumer include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is attached to this email along with the link to proclamation (release) issued by Gov. Pillen last fall: