Negotiators are getting closer to a compromise deal on a two-year, $46 billion state budget that would include key Democratic spending priorities, tax credits for low-and middle-income families, no tax hikes on the wealthy and could receive a vote in the state House of Representatives as early as this Saturday. House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford said he has at least 95 votes for a .
Brenda Leon
With signs and chants of support, a small group of Colombians living in Connecticut gathered in front of Hartford’s City Hall on Thursday to denounce the violent response by Colombia’s security forces against demonstrators.
Hartford resident Alina Zúñiga, who moved to Connecticut from Cali, Colombia, 30 years ago, organized the rally. She said ongoing corruption and abuse have been a decadeslong reality for the people in her native country. Zúñiga said young adults are responding on the streets, and she wanted to show her support.
“Systematically, social, human and environmental leaders are being killed, and the people are tired,” she said in Spanish.
For The People Act: More than just a remedy against restrictive voter laws
People register to vote at Hartford City Hall.
It can be hard to vote, even in “blue state” Connecticut. Connecticut does not have early voting or no-excuse absentee voting. Most voters are forced to vote in person on election day. The only option for voting on a day other than election day is to vote absentee with a qualifying excuse.
To vote absentee a Connecticut resident must fill out a form, mail the form to their town clerk who will then mail an absentee ballot, which the voter then has to mail back. The most time-effective way, prior to the pandemic, to vote absentee was to walk into your registrar of voters office. A Connecticut resident wishing to vote absentee cannot make the request online.
Out & About: This year, Green Up Day is more like Green Up Weeks or Months
Eric Boen and his children Mada Boen, 10, left, and Merrick Boen, 9, sort the trash they found along their road in Sharon, Vt., on May 6, 2017. Helping them is River Sotak,6, who was with his father at the Sharon Town Garage that day. They were helping in the sorting of trash brought in from Green-up Day. (Valley News - Jennifer Hauck) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
Chris Rimmer, of Norwich, Vt., adds goggles found in the ditch to a trash bag held by Carolyn Brennan, also of Norwich, while picking up trash and birding on Kendall Station Road in Norwich during Green Up Day on May 4, 2019. (Valley News - Geoff Hansen) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
As she was raising children with mental health needs, Milagros Vega learned how to access multiple services in Hartford. She moved to the city from Puerto Rico 25 years ago. Now she’s caring for a grandson with similar needs.
Speaking in Spanish, she said when her grandson is in crisis he can become violent. She recalled calling the Hartford Police Department to intervene and calm down or take him to a nearby hospital.
“Cuando él le da la crisis se pone violento, pues yo llamo para que o lo tranquilicen o se lo lleven a un hospital.”
The police arrived, but the tension only increased.