Jeff Currey

As the State Department of Education continues to release more guidance for reopening schools across the state, local boards of education have been developing creative solutions that keep students, faculty, and staff safe, while fostering a productive learning environment. East Hartford Public School leaders have released a draft of the district's plan to reopen schools for classroom learning.

Efforts to ensure a complete Census count are ramping up, Connecticut has expanded its Youth Employment Program, the DMV is resuming testing and registration services, and so much more.

Summer is here and the state is moving towards the goal of reopening. Have you filled out your 2020 Census yet? Don't forget to do so and remind your family, friends, and neighbors to do theirs so Connecticut can get a complete count. Read more about free services to help you file your income taxes and the in-person services the DMV is resuming.

The LGBTQ+ community won a significant victory Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal civil rights laws, specifically Title VII, protect LGBTQ+ workers. Although this ruling is limited to employment protections, we have to remain optimistic that these protections will be extended to other areas like health care, education, the military, and more.

I was proud to stand atop of the Connecticut State Capitol raise the Pride flag in support and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and to welcome in Pride Month. But the irony was not lost that at a time when we should be welcoming in the most colorful month of the year, Pride 2020, we find ourselves at another peak in the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Phase One came and Phase One went, but there's still a ways to go until the state fully reopens. More information on the next phase of Connecticut's Reopening Plan has been released, as well as an update from the state Department of Labor on how unemployed residents can file for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.

The 2020 Census is underway and according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Community Response Map, 63.1 percent of Connecticut residents have responded to the 2020 Census. Hartford County's response rate was 64.6 percent as of today at 3:45 p.m. 

Saturday morning the Governor released guidance for Phase 1 of the state's reopening plan, which may permit restaurants, offices, hair salons, barbershops, retail stores, and outdoor zoos and museums to begin reopening starting May 20.