June 10, 2015

CT Young Legislators Form Bipartisan Caucus

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Democrat and Republican state legislators have formed a coalition to focus on policies which address the needs of younger Connecticut residents.

The Young Legislators Caucus is made up of about 20 lawmakers who are approximately 40 years old and younger.

The group will meet regularly to discuss issues and policies which impact younger Connecticut residents’ quality of life, including job creation, housing, the environment, public safety and higher education.

front row, l to r: Rep. Aundre Bumgardner of Groton, Rep. David Alexander of Enfield, Rep. Rosa Rebimbas of Naugatuck, Rep. Cara Pavalock of Bristol, Rep. Rep. J.P. Sredzinski of Monroe, Rep. David Kiner of Enfield, and Rep. Matthew Lesser of Middletown. Middle row, l to r: Sen. Art Linares of Westbrook, Rep. Christie Carpino of Cromwell, Rep. Devin Carney of Old Saybrook, Rep. Steve Stafstrom of Bridgeport, and Rep. Jason Perillo of Shelton. Back row, l to r: Rep. Chris Davis of Ellington, Rep. Jesse MacLachlan of Westbrook, Rep. Sean Scanlon of Guilford, Rep. Jeff Currey of East Hartford, Rep. Caroline Simmons of Stamford, and Rep. Roland Lemar of New Haven.

The caucus chairs are Sen. Mae Flexer (D- Killingly), Rep. Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford), Rep. Devin Carney (R-Old Saybrook), and Sen. Art Linares (R-Westbrook).

“There are so many critical issues in the State of Connecticut that affect young people, and it is important that they have a voice in the state legislature. That is where this new Young Legislators Caucus comes into play,” said Sen. Flexer. “This caucus is especially important for the young women in our state. There are 1.1 million people in our state between the ages of 20 and 40, and more than half of our residents are female. And we’ve seen an influx of young, female legislators in the past year moving into positions of power. So this Young Legislators Caucus is the perfect place to continue working on the issues that affect young people in Connecticut, and young women – issues like college affordability, sexual assault, domestic violence and paid family medical leave.”

“Government doesn’t need to be about Democrat vs. Republican,” said Rep. Scanlon. “It should be about Democrats and Republicans working together to find common ground about the greatest issues we face. I am really excited to be serving as co-chair and to be partnering with my fellow young legislators to find and support bipartisan solutions that will help young people in Connecticut.”

“It is a privilege to be a founding member and House Republican Chair of the Young Legislators Caucus,” said Rep. Carney. “I am excited to get started and believe that this will serve as an opportunity to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address issues relevant to young people throughout our state.”

“This caucus will enable us to share ideas that can one day be crafted into policies which improve the quality of life for young people in Connecticut,” Sen. Linares said. “This group is diverse, smart, talented and creative. I am proud to be a part of this effort.”