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| Last week in our Education Committee public hearing, we heard testimony from the Office of Early Childhood Commissioner, Beth Bye, in support of the CARE4KIDS program. I want to make sure that you are aware of this childcare expense assistance program that is available for moderate to low-income families. I hope you will check their website and determine if you are eligible. As a family with young children, I know all too well the burden of childcare expenses. Please learn more here. |
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As the Co-Chair of the Main Street Working Group, I was happy to lead the first Lunch & Learn virtual event of the session last Tuesday. We discussed Proposed HB-6692, An Act Concerning Increased Investments in Arts, Culture, and Tourism.
Did you know that 13% of our state GDP comes from the arts, culture, and tourism sectors? And, for every $1 we invest in ACT, our communities receive $3 in return. Investments in these sectors have shown enormous returns over the past two years and also supported and fostered the establishments and programs that make our communities special and vibrant. |
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| Here's a clip from the beginning of our Lunch and Learn |
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| This bill would require the Department of Economic and Community Development to increase economic activity and workforce development by increasing investment in arts, culture, and tourism in the state. It would create processes to identify strategic goals, metrics, and accountability structures for such investment. We also heard a tremendous amount of excellent testimony in support of this initiative before the Commerce Committee last Thursday. If this issue is of importance to you, I encourage you to watch the recording of our Lunch & Learn and also listen to some of the committee testimony, particularly from Dr. Jason Mancini from CT Humanities. |
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| Wakeman Boys and Girls Clubhouse Tour |
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| Last week, Rep. McCarthy Vahey, Rep. Stafstrom, and I toured the new Wakeman Boys and Girls Clubhouse in Bridgeport, another clubhouse from the same Wakeman Boys and Girls Club that we treasure in Southport. Our tour was truly inspiring. This building will be transformative for the entire Bridgeport community as it is situated within walking distance to 9,000 Bridgeport students but will also have a community health clinic embedded in the facility so that families can access afterschool programming, extracurriculars, community sports programs, and health care providers all in the same location. It truly is a model of what should exist in every community and I was nearly brought to tears learning about what this will facilitate for families in our neighboring community. It is the perfect example of what is possible when local, state, and federal partners all work in collaboration. Wakeman has been supporting Fairfield and Bridgeport for over 100 years and I look forward to seeing all that will be possible with this new investment. |
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| I'm committed to ensuring your voice is heard. Please don't hesitate to call my office at (860) 240-8585 or email me if there's anything I can do for you. Be sure to follow @LeeperForFairfield on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Leeper
State Representative |
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