I attended the Advancing Racial Equity Symposium at Goodwin University sponsored by the Commission on Children, Women, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity (CWCSEO).
Very moving testimony from community experts and state officials brought home the reality of Connecticut’s racial and ethnic disparities in housing, education, and the quality and access of health care.
A day's worth of Panels highlighted the 2018 law which allows a legislator to call for a racial or ethnic impact statement (REIS) regarding legislation in the process of being drafted.
The next session of the legislature will have funding to do the necessary analysis and implementation to make this law effective.
Connecticut is in the forefront of the nation on REIS legislation. The position of State Representative can reflect constituents' commitment to narrow the gaps in funding and services that exist between diverse Connecticut communities.