Fighting For Racial Equity in State Government

January 30, 2024

The legislative session starts next week, and I want to make sure you are updated on important events and bills taking place on the Capitol grounds. Keep scrolling to learn how you can stay informed and engaged in 2024!

While you stay up to date on everything happening in Hartford, please take a moment to go over a quick tutorial on how a bill becomes a law. Read below for a full step-by-step breakdown of that process.

Speaking of government, it was an honor to serve on a panel breaking down the state's effort to promote racial equity in state government. Please read below to learn about some recommendations that will get us closer to our goal.

You will find the following sections below:

  • Fighting For Racial Equity in State Government
  • Poverty Awareness Month
  • Stay Connected This Legislative Session!
  • The Legislative Process
 
Fighting For Racial Equity in State Government
It was a pleasure to join an impressive panel discussing Connecticut’s efforts to dismantle structural racism within our state government. We listened to many voices that are committed to increasing equity in the workforce throughout the hiring, retention, and promotion processes.

The CT Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health shared its inaugural report and provided some recommendations to building racial equity including:

  • Establishing leadership buy-in to set the tone for state agencies to advance racial equity work
  • Building infrastructure to support racial equity work in government
  • Requiring state agencies to develop equity plans to identify racial inequities which exist internally, and to outline steps to address them
Click Here For More Recommendations & Full Report
Thank you to Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Robinson for speaking at the event, sharing his story, and breaking down how we can improve state government especially for people of color. I appreciate the work that everyone put together on this very important topic.
 
Poverty Awareness Month

Why was our Earned Income Tax Credit increase such a big deal in our fight against poverty?

By changing the rate from 30.5% to 40%, we were able to provide an additional $44.6 million in state tax credits to the approximately 211,000 low-income filers who receive the credit. Typically, more than 95% of filers who receive this credit are families with children. I pledge to continue to fight homelessness in Waterbury and across our state.
 
Stay Connected This Legislative Session!
With the legislative session just around the corner on Wednesday, February 7th, I am committed to keeping you informed and engaged in the democratic process.  

The resources below will help you stay updated on crucial developments, events, proposed policies, and key discussions as they happen in Hartford. I urge you to please follow along and get involved.

Here's how you can stay connected and actively participate:

  • The non-partisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) recently released the 2024 Major Issues Report. This comprehensive document summarizes key issues the legislature could take up during the upcoming session. 
  • You can view the Connecticut General Assembly's upcoming events by checking out its schedule on the CGA official website. 
  • Follow CT-N for live coverage of committee meetings, as well as House and Senate floor debates. 
  • You can register to monitor any bill's journey as it goes through the legislative process. By signing up, you can enter the bill number and receive real-time updates. Stay informed with email notifications whenever there's a change in the bill's progress. 
  • Visit this website for information on how to testify on a bill at a public hearing.

Together, we can make a positive impact and ensure that our community's needs are represented.
 
The Legislative Process
The 2024 Legislative Session is right around the corner!  Don’t be intimidated -let’s break down the process in just six steps.