Anne Hughes

Health care is not only a necessity, it's an essential human right, and so critical now when federal budget negotiations threaten to end healthcare access for millions of our residents. Several of my colleagues and I have been fighting for years to increase Husky insurance coverage (Medicaid) for all eligible young people, regardless of documentation status. On Tuesday I spoke at a news briefing at the Capitol with members of the group Husky4Immigrants, as well as health care providers, social workers and advocates.

I joined Lt. Gov. Susan Bysciewicz, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, and Reps. Eleni Kavros DeGraw and Kate Farrar, among others on the Bipartisan Women's Caucus, for LiveGirl Day at the Capitol on Tuesday.

This week at the Capitol, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues in support of a number of policies impacting members of our communities who are in dire need of resources and supports during this precarious moment bracing for the federal cuts of funding to CT and economic uncertainty.

It was another productive week at the State Capitol. I joined fellow legislators of the Early Childhood Caucus in support of several pieces of legislation, including HB 5003 and SB 1, to expand family care programs, bolster pay and working conditions for childcare workers, and call for affordable health insurance.

There's a lot to talk about this week on the local, state and federal levels. Unfortunately, at the top of the list is more nonsensical, cruel and damaging cuts continuing to cascade from the federal government.

March 25 was Equal Pay Day, which signifies how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. It's a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality in the workplace.