Connect with us

Connecticut

Opinion: Connecticut can resist!

Published

on

Opinion: Connecticut can resist!


The President of the United States has rescinded civil rights programs, has threatened to withhold funding from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and has announced plans to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education. A group of other states has sued to repeal Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

These actions endanger decades of including people with disabilities and others in our national melting pot. While I am alarmed and saddened by these threats to our civil rights, I believe that Connecticut can resist this assault and protect our residents.

Did you know that the State Constitution declares that “No person shall be denied the equal protection of the law nor be subjected to segregation or discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of his or her civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex or physical or mental disability.”?

Our State Constitution also affirms that “There shall always be free public elementary and secondary schools in the state” and Connecticut enacted a law requiring special education 15 years before the federal government did so. Did you know that, in Connecticut, the membership of each state appointive board, commission, committee, and council must reflect the gender and racial diversity of the state?

Advertisement

Not all states guarantee free public education and equal protection of the law. Not all states require diversity in their public boards and commissions. We do, and these are just a few examples of Connecticut’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

However the federal government erodes the civil rights of diverse peoples, Connecticut can do better. I am proud of the actions by our federal delegation in Washington D.C. to resist the assault on public programs and civil rights. I am proud of our Gov. Ned Lamont for confirming that our enduring values include hope and opportunity for dreamers from around the world, yearning to breathe free.

I am proud of our Attorney General William Tong for joining other states in federal courts to stop unilateral abuses of power by the federal government. The State Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has declared, “The actions at the federal level do not remove civil rights protections under Connecticut state law, and the CHRO remains steadfastly committed to enforcing civil rights antidiscrimination law for all protected classes and people.”

I am not Pollyanna. Intentional work will be required to ensure that, here in Connecticut, there is no discrimination in the exercise or enjoyment of civil or political rights because of religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, or physical or mental disability. Where federal funding is withheld, Connecticut must find the means to compensate. There will be choices to be made. We must consider our priorities.

Our Secretary of the State has launched a new campaign, the Power of Civics, to promote the importance of civic education and civic engagement by encouraging and enabling people to participate in their communities, identify issues, and work to solve problems. Get involved!

Advertisement

We can do this! We can be the city upon a hill.

Walter Glomb is Executive Director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities.

 



Source link

Advertisement

Connecticut

Watch New Canaan vs. Cheshire in Connecticut Class L football championship: Live stream

Published

on

Watch New Canaan vs. Cheshire in Connecticut Class L football championship: Live stream


New Canaan faces Cheshire in the 2025 Connecticut high school Class L football state championship on Saturday afternoon.

The game begins at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.

The game will stream live on the NFHS Network.

High school football championships on NFHS Network

Advertisement

Watch high school sports anywhere from wherever you are.

WATCH NOW

What: Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L football championship

Who: New Canaan vs. Cheshire

When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025

Advertisement

Where: Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut

Time: 4 p.m. EST

Stream: NFHS Network

Tickets: $11,50

Record, MaxPrep state rankings: New Canaan 12-0, No. 1; Cheshire 9-3, No. 11

Advertisement

Here’s more information about the game from the Hartford Courant, via the Tribune News Service:

New Canaan is going for its 16th state title and fourth straight under veteran coach Lou Marinelli and New Canaan outscored its playoff opponents, 85-13. Cheshire’s last finals appearance was 2009, when coach Don Drust was an assistant for the Rams’ team, which beat Staples in overtime to win a Class LL title. Cheshire rallied from a 19-point deficit against Fairfield Ludlowe to win the Class L quarterfinal game and beat Ridgefield 21-0 in the semifinals. QB Aiden Gregorich’s pass to Liam Suomala proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left in the quarterfinal.

What is the NFHS Network?

The NFHS Network covers more than 30 sports across the country. NFHS Network costs $13.99 per month or $79.99 per year.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Connecticut

Could mini-liquor bottles be banned in Connecticut?

Published

on

Could mini-liquor bottles be banned in Connecticut?


Have you still seen a lot of mini-liquor bottles, littering the streets in Connecticut?

Members of one environmental group said they still see them, and believe a ban is the best way to solve a multi-tiered problem.

State data shows in the past 12 months, ending September 30, there were more than 93 million mini-liquor bottles sold in our state.

The group supporting local bans says it’s not just the litter, but also the fact mini-liquor bottles are easy to conceal and consume on the job, in the car, or at school.

Advertisement

The group “Connecticut Towns Nixing the Nip” met this week, working on strategies to get a legislative hearing on the issue in the upcoming 2026 session.

Right now, stores collect a 5-cent surcharge for every mini-liquor bottle sold, resulting in about $5 million annually for town and city environmental cleanup efforts.

Town funding from nip sales

Average revenue per year 2021 to 2025.

Advertisement

“Having talked to a number of towns, well a few towns, they like the money, said Tom Metzner, a member of the group. “It’s fairly broad in how it can be used. It’s environmental. It doesn’t have to be used for cleaning up nips. And so the towns have become somewhat silent on the issue of banning nips.”

The group cited Chelsea, Massachusetts, where minis are banned, both litter and alcohol related EMS calls decreased.

The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, which devised the “nickel per nip” program, said banning the mini-liquor bottles would be unprecedented.

Instead, it said the environmental group should be challenging municipalities to prove they actually use the money for cleanup.

Legislative leaders suggested several years ago the way to really do this is to have a redemption program for mini liquor bottles, and now, that could be possible.

Advertisement

At least one state with the Clynk bottle collection program has redeemed mini-liquor bottles for cash.

The company just announced a major expansion in our state, but it told us it is not aware of a redemption program for mini-liquor bottles here any time soon.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Connecticut

National trust in the federal government is low. CT residents agree

Published

on

National trust in the federal government is low. CT residents agree


National trust in the federal government is at some of its lowest levels in nearly seven decades, and many Connecticut residents fall in line with that belief, a survey found.

New data from the Pew Research Center found only 17% of Americans believe that what the government does is right either “just about always” or “most of the time,” hitting one of the lowest points Pew has seen since first asking this question in 1958. And according to a DataHaven survey, Connecticut residents trust the federal government less than state or local institutions.

While these are some of the lowest polling numbers seen in American history, national trust in the federal government has been on the decline for decades. Public trust initially dropped in the 1960s and ’70s during the Vietnam War from a near 80% but began rising again in the 1980s into the early ’90s. Trust peaked again after 9/11 before falling.

Advertisement

The DataHaven survey found that of all Connecticut residents surveyed, only 9% trust the federal government “a great deal” to look out for the best interests of them and their family. About 28% trust the federal government “a fair amount.”

Federal government trust among Connecticut residents was at its highest in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the federal stimulus programs and child tax credit were active.

The DataHaven survey also asked about trust in local and state government. Connecticut residents generally trust these institutions more than they trust the federal government, the survey found.

Trust in the local governments was higher than trust in both state and federal, with 67% of residents surveyed trusting their local government “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”

Advertisement

And when it came to state government, 61% of residents trust the state “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending