Pennsylvania Democrats push to commemorate ‘Jan. 6 Day’ in public schools with new bill

Three Democratic state legislators in Pennsylvania are set to introduce a bill this year to establish ‘Jan. 6 Day’ at public schools. 

Pennsylvania state Sen. Art Haywood plans to formally introduce a bill to honor ‘Jan. 6 Day’ with state Reps. Ed Neilson and Chris Rabb. The legislators said the bill will ensure first responders who lost their lives after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, will never be forgotten.

‘This legislation is about embracing truth and being a country that is actively engaged in fighting systems of oppression,’ Rabb said at an event honoring first responders. ‘This moment demands reconciliation with a clear-eyed and honest assessment of what it will take to get back on the path toward atonement and healing that we so desperately need.’

Rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to demand that then-President Donald Trump remain in office after his failed reelection bid. 

Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran, was fatally shot by a Capitol police officer while attempting to force her way into the House chamber. Another person died during the riot after suffering a drug overdose, and two others died from medical emergencies.

Brian Sicknick, a 42-year-old Capitol police officer, was pepper-sprayed during the chaos and died the next day after suffering from two thromboembolic strokes. Four other officers who responded to the riot committed suicide in the months following.

The three Pennsylvania legislators emphasized the need to remind children of the events and tragedies of Jan. 6.

‘Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to ensure our students never forget to honor the courage and sacrifice of the fallen, as well as the bravery of the survivors who defended the nation and Constitution on January 6,’ the legislators wrote in a joint memorandum for the bill.

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives investigated the events through a Jan. 6 Committee, which concluded that Trump should be referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.