Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you are having a great week. Happy Earth Day! On this day, we’re not just celebrating our planet - we’re taking action to protect it. From expanding clean energy to investing in climate resilience, Connecticut is committed to a sustainable future for all.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Housing is a Human Right event last week! We had a great conversation about a vitally important issue. If you were unable to attend, CT News Junkie wrote an excellent piece about the event. Click here to read the article.

As a reminder, the End Homelessness Caucus will hold a screening of Where Then Shall We Go? The documentary tells the story of a family in New Haven who offered their backyard to unhoused people to live in. The screening will be held in Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on Friday, April 25 from 1 PM - 3 PM. Hope to see you there!

Please read below for more updates!

April is Community College Month, a time to raise awareness of the role higher education plays on economic mobility and personal development. Earning a post-secondary degree can set an individual up on a path towards career success and financial stability. However, tuition costs at four-year institutions have spiked significantly. In comparison, community colleges are incredibly affordable – CT State, Connecticut’s community college system, has an annual tuition of $5,218. That’s nearly half the price of public colleges and universities and 87% less than private ones. Some prospective students may qualify for free tuition. Click here to learn more.

Community colleges provide high-quality education at a cost-effective and accessible price. For information about CT State, please visit their website.

Any Connecticut based businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities that has been impacted by recent actions from the federal government are encouraged to report that information through a newly established online reporting tool. The information will be compiled into a central database and provide state policymakers with a better understanding of how these directives are affecting various groups, geographical regions, and sectors of the economy.

Some examples of reportable items include:

Pauses, cancelations, and reductions in federal funding
Reductions in employment
Impact from tariffs

Click here to file a report.

The CT Coalition for Climate Action is pleased to announce the second annual Climate Change Student Poster Contest! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage creatively with important environmental issues and raise awareness about the impact of climate change on our planet.

Students and finalists are invited to the judging at the Capitol on May 28th between 12–2:30pm. Semi-Finalists will be displayed at the state Capitol and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place posters will receive a scholarship this year.

The deadline for submissions is May 1 and submissions can be emailed to CTClimateActionCoalition@gmail.com.

Please contact Lisa Winkler at 860-614-6102, lisa@grassrootsct.com or Tricia Dinneen Priebe at 203-464-3793, tricia@grassrootsct.com if you have any questions or need any additional information. You may also visit the Coalition website at www.climateactionct.org.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced that a milling and resurfacing project will be performed on Route 15 Northbound in Hamden on Sunday, April 27.

The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 3.03-mile segment of Route 15 northbound in Hamden from just north of the Heroes Tunnel to 0.04 miles north of the overpass for Connolly Parkway (just past the Exit 60
on ramp).

Motorists can expect lane closures of Route 15 northbound from the Exit 59 on-ramp to just past the Exit 60 on-ramp in Hamden. The work schedule for this project is from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., Sunday night to Friday morning. on-ramp).

The project is scheduled to be completed on Monday, June 9.