Rachel Khanna

• The non-partisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) recently released the 2024 Major Issues Report. This comprehensive document highlights and 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. 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.

February is Black History Month, a time when we celebrate the many achievements and contributions of individuals from the Black diaspora, as well as reckon with the systemic racism from our past and its continuing impact  today. The theme for this year's month-long celebration is “African Americans and the Arts,” which spotlights Black Americans who have excelled in various fields of creative expression, and the enormous influence they have on our country's culture and thus, on our individual lives.

Connecticut was home to several notable moments in Black history. The Canterbury Female Boarding School, the first boarding school for young Black girls in the country, was in Canterbury. Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington. The 29th Colored Regiment, an all-Black regiment based out of Fair Haven during the Civil War, was one of the first units to enter Richmond, Virginia after it was abandoned by the Confederate Army. Click here to read more about Black history in our state.

Thanks to the tireless work of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and other colleagues in the General Assembly in 2019, Connecticut became the first state to require public schools to include Black and Latino history in their curriculums. Black history is American history, and this law ensures that the stories and triumphs of Black Americans will be taught throughout the school year.

I encourage you to take some time to celebrate and learn more about Black history, locally and throughout America. Connecticut is home to several organizations that honor and celebrate the Black experience, such as the Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, and the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American Museum in Stratford.

Click here to find more places that honor and support Black history and culture in our state.

There will be a one-hour information session to learn about the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC) Ignite Grant on Monday, February 12, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, February 21, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - both via Zoom, are free.

This program offers grants of up to $10,000 to women-owned businesses in the state of Connecticut that have been in business for 2 or more years.

To register for the February 12 session click HERE. To register for the February 21 session, click HERE.

The grant application period will be open between February 1, and March 14.

The information sessions will cover eligibility requirements, what the grant can be used for, the application process, and the timeline.

WBDC will share the application questions and the required supporting documentation.

There will also be time for questions at the end of the sessions.