Latest news with #SusanBysiewicz
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Connecticut leaders hoping to draw tourists this summer
EAST LYME, Conn. (WTNH) — Many people are getting ready for this unofficial kickoff to the summer season, including state leaders who traditionally use the Friday leading into the Memorial Day weekend to tout tourism. Connecticut attractions push for more spending on tourism Today, they were at Rocky Neck State Park reminding people what the state has to offer. According to the state there, will be a lot for those kids and everyone to do this summer. 'No matter where you live in Connecticut, you are not more than 20 minutes away from one of our gorgeous state parks,' Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, (D-Conn.) said. Programs like Passport to Parks, which provides free parking to Connecticut residents, and Park Connect which provides shuttles from public transportation, are all designed to improve access to state parks and beaches. 'Users can now reserve all terrain wheelchairs in seven Connecticut State Park and Forest locations around the state,' Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said. But it's also the many attractions like Mystic Seaport, named second best outdoor museum by USA Today and other national rankings, which state leaders hope will attract more visitors. 'The best state in the U.S. for hiking,' Anthony Anthony, chief marketing officer for the state, said. The state says tourism is an $18.5 billion industry in Connecticut, responsible for 125,000 jobs. If you do decide to head to the beach, three state parks will have lifeguards starting this Memorial Day weekend. Sherwood Island, Hammonasset and Rocky Neck State Park. 'Our tourism budget was about $12 million in 2023. Right now, if nothing happens in the legislative session with this budget, it's going to go down to $4.5 million,' Scott Dolch, president & CEO of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said. 'We're still in negotiations with the legislature right now as we're trying to get the right balance going forward,' Gov. Ned Lamont said. Many want more tourism money and more sunshine to help ensure a successful summer season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Connecticut's Broken Promise: When Equal Justice Favors Special Interests
'Equal justice under law.' These four words are inscribed on the front of the U.S. Supreme Court — a reminder that impartiality is a promise woven into the fabric of our constitutional system. When the building was under construction in 1935, a journalist questioned whether the word 'equal' was necessary. But Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes insisted. In his words, 'plac[ing] a strong emphasis on impartiality' was essential. He was right. As citizens, taxpayers, and participants in our democratic republic, we are entitled to expect impartiality from those who govern us. That's the promise of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause — and in an era where government often seems to exceed its proper bounds, that expectation has never been more essential. Yet here in Connecticut, too often, that promise is being broken. Our elected officials are placing a thumb on the scale in deference to favored special interests. In the legislature, they're promoting a bill that would fund striking workers with taxpayer dollars. And nowhere has their one-sidedness been more evident than in recent labor disputes unfolding across our state. Politicians who style themselves as champions of working families seem to forget that employers and their families are also their constituents — and all deserve equal consideration. The strike at Pratt & Whitney began on May 5. Since then, a parade of elected officials from both parties have joined the picket line to demonstrate support for the strikers. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz tweeted that she was 'proud to stand with members of the machinist union.' The Connecticut AFL-CIO amplified her message with enthusiasm. U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy; U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes, and John Larson; and state officials including Attorney General William Tong, State Senate Majority Leader Matt Lesser, Sen. Julie Kushner (herself a former UAW director) and Rep. Ron Delnicki also joined in. Such one-sided and full-throated pro-union support only increases the likelihood of another work stoppage. Is this really in the best interests of Connecticut's people — and who is representing the broader public interest? Unions and employers can come to terms without government involvement, as shown by the tentative agreement reached at Electric Boat on May 18. When elected officials take sides in a dispute between private parties — particularly while negotiations are ongoing — they forfeit their ability to serve as honest brokers. They also alienate those of us who are not party to the conflict but depend on sound governance and a functioning economy. We are right to wonder: Who is looking out for us? The expectation in a free society should be simple: If a person or company is acting lawfully, government should not target or intimidate them. And yet, in Connecticut, official behavior can be tinged with partisanship and even punitive intent. Take the case of Avelo Airlines. Because the airline cooperated with a federal deportation order issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Attorney General Tong threatened to review Avelo's eligibility for state economic incentives. This wasn't in response to illegal activity. It was a retaliatory threat resulting from partisan disapproval against a lawful contract with the federal government. In recent years, it has become a bipartisan mantra that 'no one is above the law.' That's true. But no one is beneath the law, either. Employers engaged in good-faith labor negotiations deserve protection from political harassment. So do businesses acting within the scope of the law — even if their conduct offends the sensibilities of the political class. When politicians pick winners and losers — not in the free market, but in the moral judgment of the state — they corrode the trust our system depends on. They reinforce the suspicion that government no longer serves all its citizens equally, but only those aligned with its preferred ideologies. Trust in government is not a given. It must be earned — and protected. That starts with leaders who recognize that their job is not to champion favored factions, but to serve all of us, without fear or favor. If justice is to be equal, it must also be impartial. The people of Connecticut deserve nothing less. Carol Platt Liebau is the president of Yankee Institute, a Connecticut-based public policy organization.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reproductive health advocates push against Trump's plan to freeze Title X
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — In a push to protect Title X, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Planned Parenthood and other advocates met on Wednesday to talk about reproductive health services. Connecticut Department of Education declines to sign Trump administration's DEI compliance orders They said that the Trump Administration's plan to freeze Title X funding would have a critical impact on reproductive health services. 'Withholding these funds is really an attempt to cut off access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI & STD testing, and reproductive health care in general. This is a major public health concern,' Bysiewicz said. 'There is no shortage of ability to take innocent life in this state through abortion clinics, and this is nothing more than just simple politics to assuage the abortion lobby that all is well with them, but we have other needs in this state,' Chris Healy of the Connecticut Catholic Conference said. Title X was established in 1970 to provide affordable birth control and reproductive health care to people with low incomes who couldn't otherwise access it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Korean War, Vietnam War Veterans honored in Derby
DERBY, Conn. (WTNH) — A ceremony was held in Derby on Monday honoring those who fought to defend our freedom during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Derby Mayor Joe DiMartino, and State Rep. Mary Welander (D-114th) were among the speakers at the event. University of New Haven alum donates $10M for new building 'These events are so important because it's one small way to redress an unfortunate part of history where people felt very strongly about the war and some people were very angry about it and they took out their anger on people who were serving, and so we learned a very important lesson from those who served in Vietnam,' Bysiewicz said. The ceremony also paid tribute to those who lost their lives while shining a light on the survivors and their families. 'We know that everyone comes back carrying their experiences with them,' Rep. Kara Rochelle (D-104th) said. 'And it's my hope that you have found a community in Connecticut among fellow veterans and that we are truly expressing how we care for you.' This was the 114th recognition of Vietnam veterans. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz seeks WWII veterans to honor at ceremony in May
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz is seeking assistance in identifying any living World War II veterans in Connecticut, having served at any time from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, to be honored during an upcoming ceremony. Share the names, branch of service, ages, and town of residence for any living WWII veterans in Connecticut by completing the form here. The ceremony will happen on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Governor William A. O'Neill State Armory in Hartford. The ceremony has been scheduled in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
