Lucy Dathan

As we gear up for Small Business Saturday on November 25, I am thrilled to celebrate the unique charm and character that local businesses bring to our community. This Saturday, let’s make a conscious choice to support the heart of our neighborhood by shopping local.

On this Thanksgiving, I wish to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude. In this season of reflection, I am especially thankful for the unique gift of friends like you, the joy of shared moments and the support that surrounds us.

Our community is strong thanks to our residents and everyone working together to make our state a great place to live.

Thanks to our strong, fiscally responsible policies at the state level:
Our bond ratings are stellar.
Job growth numbers keep improving.
We have cut billions in unfunded pension debts from our balance sheets.
We paid back the pandemic-era Unemployment Trust Fund loan, which is great news for local businesses.

Connecticut-based Dalio Education recently released a report it commissioned that focused on "disconnected and at-risk youth" and found more than 63,000 young adults were disconnected, and 56,000 students were at risk between 2021 and 2022, according to the compiled data.

It is important that workers in all our communities are aware of the Paid Family Medical leave program and qualifying guidelines. For covered workers, CT Paid Leave allows you to take the time you need to address your own health conditions - or those of your family - without worrying about lost income while you are away from work.

A number of new laws that are effective on October 1st were passed during the 2023 legislative session that address several issue areas to improve our great state.

Connecticut is about to take a transformative step toward making prescription drugs more affordable for everyone.

The Paraeducator Healthcare Subsidy Program will provide $5 million in financial assistance and increase access to quality health care.