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Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, supporting legislation that would create a task force aimed at expanding voter participation in elections, testified that , “The task force can also look at whether municipalities should have the ability to pilot new ideas for raising participation rates. We believe this proactive approach will lead to lasting and meaningful changes in our electoral system.”
Connecticut is recognizing 50 years of access to public records and meetings. Established in 1975 by Gov. Ella Grasso, the FOI Commission continues to make decisions that benefit the public’s right to access.
The State of Connecticut’s goal is to achieve universal broadband access and close the digital divide. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently released the 2024 Connecticut Broadband Report, which details progress made during the past year.
The SBA Connecticut District Office has announced this year’s Connecticut Small Business Week Awardees, as National Small Business Week, to be celebrated May 4-10, 2025, draws closer.
A recent opinion research survey of business organizations conducted by Glastonbury-based Great Blue Research reveals an array of concerns regarding the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, including data privacy and security (39%), and accuracy and trustworthiness of AI (37%).
A study by Yale School of Medicine researchers estimates that raising the age for tobacco sales to 21 could avert more than 525,000 deaths, more than double prior estimates.
New Jersey saw the highest share of working adults over the age of 65 in 2024, at 33.8%. Connecticut ranked fifth in the U.S., at 30.3 percent.
Civic Learning Week is a national effort to prioritize civic education in order to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy. It brings together students, educators, policymakers, community leaders, and organizations to highlight civic education. Connecticut’s Old State House has a leading role this week.
Of the 44 million meals we provided last year, millions were served up as warm, healthy plates of food served at over 50 community kitchens across Connecticut. In every city and town, people struggle with the cost of food, reduced income, and even worse – homelessness.
Like the rest of the nation, Connecticut has seen a rise in book challenges in the last three years. In 2023, over 100 different titles were challenged in Connecticut libraries.
The Connecticut State Dental Association strongly supports the legislation at the State Capitol which would enable Connecticut residents to continue to benefit from fluoridated community water systems, as they have since 1965, by enabling our state to control the fluoridation levels.
Flat funding this program, as proposed, will effectuate a significant CUT to need-based scholarships for Connecticut students. Now is the time for the legislature to invest in this program.
Some Connecticut families could see an increase of $3,000 per year for health coverage if legislation is not passed soon.
2024 presented numerous opportunities for the Community Engagement/ Outreach program at Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) to expand its reach across the state.
Congress must prioritize federal legislation that protects these essential online relationships while also ensuring that children’s personal data isn’t exploited by social media platforms. Connecticut’s Congressional delegation must lead the charge.
The Better Business Bureau recommends adding a few precautionary steps to the New Year's resolution list to help make the upcoming days and months fraud-free, as 2025 gets underway.
Immediate attention is needed to ensure community-based crisis services continue. A 12-page policy brief and recommendations published this month by the Child Health and Development Institute outlines what needs to be done, and the funding required to accomplish the imperative objectives.
Home to several esteemed higher education institutions, Hartford’s culture, economy, and daily life are deeply shaped by its colleges and universities. These institutions are at the heart of our city.
Today, we often walk with our heads down. We’re looking at texts on our phones or – in my case – trying not to trip over our feet or a raised edge of the sidewalk. That’s only the beginning of the journey, as we walk across time and memory
What changed my trajectory wasn’t luck—it was people and programs that believed in my potential when I couldn’t see it for myself. Too many young people don’t have access to even one person or program to help them see their worth. Instead, they’re left navigating systems that feel more like barriers than bridges to success. Connecticut needs to change that trajectory for disconnected and at-risk youth.
When people hear the word “disaster,” they often think of it as an acute event, a disruption, or something unpredictable. However, many weather events we may refer to as disasters are not matters of pure chance, but rather the result patterns and decisions over a longer timetable.
Capital One’s proposed $265 billion Community Benefits Plan (CBP) can be a major step toward achieving economic and social equity, especially for communities often left behind by traditional banking.
When former Connecticut U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd talked with Avon High School students about a book he wrote about his father’s role in the historic Nuremberg trials after World War II, it was history that was as much about the future as the past, one of the students explains.
Our teens deserve an online environment that is safe, nurturing, and conducive to positive community building.
Lawmakers should be going after criminals who steal people’s money, but instead, they are attacking payment platforms like Zelle. That’s the wrong approach. Targeting the services instead of the criminals does not solve any issue.
The power of food marketing cannot be understated: it influences attitudes, preferences, and consumption; it reaches the youngest of ages; and it targets specific audiences, making exposure to unhealthy food promotion greater for some than others.
Today, 1 in 6 children in Connecticut are food insecure; and food insecurity continues to disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities at the rate of 1 in 4 people. Connecticut Foodshare and its network have distributed more meals than ever before - and it is not enough.
Women have a capability to succeed that comes from a different source than they have been led to believe, but is no less potent. Once that is realized, women can - and do - excel in science, a longstanding male-dominated sector.
CT is among the healthier states in the nation and delivers high-quality care, yet disparities are plainly evident, and often are driven by costs.
CT Humanities, celebrating its 50th anniversary, has become a valued hub and connector demonstrating to the public the value and relevance of humanities in our lives.
By embracing the continued strong growth of UConn’s Hartford campus, we are not just supporting an important educational institution; we are enriching our community's cultural fabric, boosting our local economy, and building a future that attracts and retains a talented workforce.
It is far past time that Microsoft was held accountable and made to change through regulation or legislation. The U.S government continues to use their products because it’s nearly impossible for users to consider switching over to another software company - in large part due to the anti-competitive and anti-consumer nature of Microsoft.
Keeping the subminimum wage in place restricts service workers from experiencing the real wage growth many Connecticut workers are seeing, and continues to perpetuate wage inequities across gender, race and ethnicity. It’s time for a change.
The Center for Children’s Advocacy strongly supports legislation Prohibiting the Consideration of School Disciplinary History During the Admissions Process at an Institution of Higher Education, to ensure that all of Connecticut’s students can have a clear pathway to higher education, free from unnecessary barriers embedded in the application process.
Roya Rahmani, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States was featured at the University of Saint Joseph on International Women’s Day in a program sponsored by the university’s Women’s Leadership Center and the World Affiars Council of Connecticut. Local high school students who immigrated from Afghanistan powerfully introduced her that evening.
For years now, behavioral health providers have been telling policymakers that the public and private insurance reimbursement rates for their services have not kept pace with inflation or the full cost of providing high-quality care. That reality is taking it’s toll on children and families.
In today's digitally driven society, social media plays an outsized role in the lives of individuals, especially among the younger generation. it’s become clear that we need a federal framework that streamlines parental safety measures in a straightforward and comprehensive way.
The Connecticut Department of Labor Report on the Application of Military Training or Experience for Service Members was submitted this month to the State Legislature, which opens its 2024 legislative session in February.

Connecticut companies exported $17.38 billion in goods in 2024—up $1.54 billion over the previous year. More than 4,600 Connecticut companies—89% small or midsized firms—export goods, with commodity exports accounting for 5.9% of the state’s GDP.
Commodity sales to Canada increased $189 million to $2.3 billion in 2024, with aerospace components representing about 20% of all shipments. Canada is also Connecticut’s largest trading partner, accounting for $5.74 billion of the $22.74 billion in goods the state imported in 2024.

Connecticut exports to Mexico soared $596 million last year to $1.67 billion, with that country moving from fifth to third among all markets. - Source: CBIA

Scene in Connecticut proudly features the work of Connecticut photographer Abigail Bowden ©2025



