How do we fix Connecticut? These 8 General Assembly freshmen have some ideas.
They are
Here are what eight of those freshmen think:
A 22-year-old fresh out of
Haskell was named chairman of the legislature's higher education committee and said one of the first things he wants to tackle is some sort of relief from the crushing student loan debt many of
"I can actually work on drawing young people back to
For Haskell, the issue of young people leaving the state is personal. His girlfriend, who grew up in
"In the course of my campaign I talked constantly about the need to draw young people back to
An organizer of the Connecticut Women's March,
Gilchrest gathered signatures to force a primary against 12-term incumbent Rep.
"We were told we couldn't and we achieved it," Gilchrest said at a victory celebration on
As far as her plans, Gilchrest said during the campaign that she supported highway tolls and legalizing recreational marijuana and that towns and cities must look at sharing some services to reduce costs.
Gilchrest, 36, has already filed several bills, including proposals to raise the minimum wage and implement a paid family and medical leave program, initiatives that are supported by Democratic leaders in the
Like Rep.
Mastrofrancesco, 59, ran for a seat in the state legislature 25 years ago and lost. She decided to give it another try because she believes "the state is in a big fiscal crisis and we need strong leadership ... to turn the state around."
In an op-ed published on her House website, Mastrofrancesco took a swipe at her newly elected Democratic colleagues and said she would stand for limited government and lower taxes.
"With
Mastrofrancesco, who joined the legislature's
His father,
A lawyer and
"I'm my own person, but certainly have been imbued with the value of public service," the younger Blumenthal said last year.
On his campaign website, Blumenthal, 32, listed a litany of issues he will focus on at the state
"We must prioritize infrastructure investment in the state legislature," he wrote in an op-ed in the
An upset winner who ran against Republican incumbent Sen.
A fiscal moderate, Bergstein supports tolls, reforming the state's pension system and gun safety. She bills herself as a "different kind of Democrat" willing to buck the two party system in
She supports eliminating the estate and gift tax, lowering income taxes and corporate taxes and eliminating "special tax deals." She promises to support more investment in state infrastructure such as train service. She said a "progressive social environment" will attract more young workers to
"Politics is our way of self governing. We have to be involved," Bergstein told a recent community meeting. "Our state has been mismanaged. We can turn it around."
During the campaign, Champagne said he would work for more relief for homeowners struggling from crumbling foundations. He is opposed to highway tolls and the legalization of marijuana.
"Taxes are too high, there are too many mandates on businesses and there is an overall negative attitude toward
Champagne, 49, served in the
A retired police chief in
"I don't think residents have a lot of trust in the people up in the
During the campaign, Hayes, a 59-year-old Republican, promised to work to cut taxes and spending while prioritizing funds for education and transportation.
"Public safety, the opioid epidemic and the state's deteriorating fiscal health are the greatest challenges facing us today,"" Hayes said in a Facebook post. "I will work side-by-side with law enforcement, first responders as well as local and state leaders to address these issues immediately."
A former state social services commissioner,
The daughter of a Tuskegee Airman who grew up in
In a video on her campaign Facebook page,
"It's good for workers. It encourages all of us to care for one another," she said. "It's good for employers, because it helps them retain ... employees and keep good employees."
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