Student Voice

Did you ever think you would see a time when childcare costs twice as much as a mortgage?” Me either.

Throughout the years, the value and importance of public review have diminished, notably in the realm of environmental policy. Public input in environmental matters is essential, and I believe that House Bill: 6551 will enhance the ability of the public to participate in the process.

#MeToo, Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump. These very words have become synonymous with violations of women’s rights and safety. Women’s voices have been silenced and berated for revealing their experiences, and our elected officials have failed to adequately protect them from abuse.

Ending human trafficking and protecting endangered children must become a policy priority in Connecticut. This year the judiciary committee introduced H.B. No. 6657: An act concerning human trafficking. This bill raises some important and necessary statutory remedies to issues regarding human trafficking in Connecticut.

It can be hard to vote, even in “blue state” Connecticut. Connecticut does not have early voting or no-excuse absentee voting. The only option for voting on a day other than election day is to vote absentee with a qualifying excuse.

The number of retail, or non-professional, investors has grown exponentially in the U.S. throughout the pandemic. Large retail trading sites such as E*TRADE, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab saw their number of new users increase by 103% compared to last year. At the same time, Robinhood had 3 million new accounts opened in the first quarter of 2020, almost double the first quarter of 2019. The transition from betting to investing is very concerning as it suggests that there is now a large number of investors who treat investing like gambling.

Even though Connecticut is a blue state with a Democratically controlled house, senate and governor, it  is just one of seven states in the nation does not allow universal absentee voting prior to election day.

For many Americans, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine has inspired feelings of relief, excitement, and pride. The vaccine both protects against a rampant disease and represents the beginning of a return to normalcy following a devastating 13 months of isolation, working from home, and Zoom birthday parties. While excitement regarding the long-awaited vaccine is shared by millions of Americans, cries of opposition and anti-vaccine rhetoric have resurfaced along with it.

If the state of Connecticut wants its institutions of higher learning to return to normal in the fall, it’s going to have to get shots into the arms of the students.

Senate Bill 1018 does not solve Connecticut’s largest criminal justice problem: outcomes for crime victims and defendants vary based on zip codes because judicial districts operate independently of one another.