In keeping with President Obama’s theme of inequality in the United States for his State of the Union address on Tuesday, some Connecticut lawmakers have invited special guests.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, has invited Lilly Ledbetter, a woman’s right activist who filed a landmark employment discrimination case that reached the Supreme Court, but lost because she had exceeded the statute of limitations.
Rep .Jim Himes, D-4th District, has invited Lucas Codognolla, 23, the lead organizer for Connecticut Students for a DREAM, a group of immigrant youths hoping to change federal law to win equal access to higher education and who lobby for broad-based immigration reform.
Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, has asked Lori Pelletier, executive secretary-treasurer of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, who is the first openly gay woman in the country to lead a state labor federation.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, has invited Katherine Hackett of Moodus, one of thousands of Connecticut workers who lost their long-term unemployment benefits on December 28 because of Congress’ failure to renew the program.
Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, has invited East Hartford Mayor Marcia LeClerc.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has asked his wife Cathy to join him.
And Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has invited Staff Sgt. Sandra Lee, a 36-year old veteran of the Iraq War who lives in Manchester. Lee is a victim of sexual abuse in the military.
The guests will watch from the House chamber galleries as Obama addresses a joint session of Congress about his vision for the nation this year.