Cicarella wants human traffickers brought before the Senate for punishment.

State Senator Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) had some thoughts on a human trafficking bill the Senate debated and passed on Wednesday. It requires hotels, motels and inns to post conspicuous notices on services for trafficking victims, train employees on recognizing signs of human trafficking, and keep records of transactions. It also prohibits those establishments from offering hourly rates of occupancy.

Cicarella supported the proposal but suggested that it does both too much and not enough. He does not want to hurt businesses but wants to impose harsher penalties on those who engage in the hideous practice of human trafficking. He’d like a bill that is tougher. One with penalties the could be administered right there in the Senate circle.

Cicarella was briefly a corrections officer and for much longer a disabled corrections officer.

The video is edited for clarity.

Published April 30, 2026.