A member of maintenance staff carries a ladder to fix light in the press room a day before the legislative session opens in Hartford. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
A statue on the first floor of the State Capitol. Visitors walked around the first floor taking photos a day before the legislative session opened. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Joyce Maldonado, of Waterbury, the mother of two daughters, stands along with other protesters asking the state to end mask mandates at school. “It should be a choice,” she said. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
People socialize after the speeches at the school mask mandate protest. One of the protesters, Paul Campbell, the father of two young boys, said he hasn’t been able to get involved in the school activities as a parent since the pandemic and wants his sons to have their childhood back. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Barbara Bielawski, of East Haddam, a mother of a 4-year-old daughter, brought a lot of snacks and a change of clothes to the protest against the school mask mandate. “With kids, you have to be prepared,” she said, laughing. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Legislators walk through the hallway near the House chamber after Gov. Ned Lamont’s speech. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, right, gives a hug to Rep. Toni E. Walker, D-New Haven, after giving a condolence speech for the loss of her sister. The session began with lawmakers sharing updates of births, deaths and marriages. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Geraldo Reyes Jr., D-Waterbury, gives a condolence speech for several colleagues whose family members died over the last year. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, R-Greenwich, listens to Gov. Ned Lamont’s speech while other lawmakers stand to applaud. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, left, talks to Gregg Haddad, D-Mansfield in the state Capitol in Hartford. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain, wore colorful socks with his suit for opening day of the 2022 Legislative Session. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Gov. Ned Lamont, second from left, enters the House chamber with his wife, Annie Lamont, on Wednesday. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Gov. Ned Lamont presents his proposed adjustments to biennial state budget at the State Capitol in Hartford. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Legislators applaud as Gov. Ned Lamont delivers the 2022 State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
House Speaker Matt Ritter, center, and Christopher G. Donovan, a former speaker of the state House of Representatives, listen to Lamont’s address. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Gov. Ned Lamont, center, talks to his staff after delivering his State of the State address Wednesday. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
The seat of Rep. Liz Linehan, D-Cheshire, is full of sticky notes that she received from her clerks each time she submitted a bill. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Journalists and legislators interact in the hallway after Gov. Ned Lamont delivered the 2022 State of the State address at the state Capitol in Hartford. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
House Speaker Matt Ritter answers questions from journalists after Gov. Ned Lamont delivered the 2022 State of the State address at the State Capitol in Hartford. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org
Rep. Robin Comey, D-Branford, center, and Rep. Ann Hughes, D-Easton, deep in conversation with Rep. Bobby Sanchez, D-New Britain. Yehyun Kim / ctmirror.org

Yehyun joined CT Mirror in June 2020 as a photojournalist and a Report For America Corps Member. Her role at CT Mirror is to tell visual stories about the impact of public policy on individuals and communities in Connecticut. Prior to joining CT Mirror, Yehyun photographed community news in Victoria, Texas and was a photo and video intern at USA TODAY and at Acadia National Park in Maine. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Yehyun was born and raised in South Korea.