1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support legislation similar to Virginia's HB333, which establishes factual standards for teaching about the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Virginia recently became the first state to pass such legislation, and it is time for our state to follow suit. HB333 requires Virginia public schools teaching about January 6 to describe it as an unprecedented, violent attack on United States democratic institutions for the purpose of overturning the 2020 presidential election results. The bill prohibits schools from portraying these events as a peaceful protest or presenting as credible the debunked claims of extensive election fraud that could have changed the outcome. This legislation responds to a concerning disinformation campaign, including a White House website launched on January 6, 2026 that blamed Democrats and Capitol police for the violence while claiming the events were a peaceful protest. As Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer stated, this is a preventative measure against massive disinformation that could mislead our students about fundamental democratic processes. The facts are not in dispute. State and federal judges in over 60 lawsuits, many appointed by Republican governors and presidents including Trump himself, rejected claims that fraud affected the 2020 election results. Dozens of former Trump administration officials testified under oath before the House Select Committee confirming no widespread fraud occurred. The violent nature of January 6 was documented by live television footage watched by millions, photos and videos posted by rioters themselves, and sworn testimony of law enforcement officers who were attacked. Our students deserve education grounded in documented facts, not partisan revisionism. This is not about restricting speech but about establishing guardrails to ensure public education cannot present demonstrably false information as truth. I urge you to introduce or support similar legislation in our state to protect the integrity of our educational system and ensure students learn accurate history.