State Representative Rachel Khanna’s Op-Ed Published in the Greenwich Time
State Rep. Rachel Khanna (opinion): Great things happening in CT
state Rep. Rachel Khanna
Jan. 5, 2024 Updated: Jan. 5, 2024 9:23 a.m.
There’s been a wave of positive developments in Connecticut. First and foremost, the state is growing and attracting more people who want to live and work here. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, Connecticut gained 57,000 residents. In addition, October saw an increase of 3,400 jobs and another 500 in November.
But just as importantly, in the last legislative session, we invested more than $240 million for the 2024-25 academic year in our public schools, which are currently ranked third in the nation. And we continue to be a national leader in gun violence prevention, passing legislation that strengthens our gun safety laws. To recognize us for our hard work in keeping our residents safe from the scourge of gun violence, the Giffords Law Center recently gave Connecticut an “A” rating.
What’s more, while so many states pass draconian laws preventing access to reproductive health care, endangering the health of their citizens, we passed legislation to protect patients and health care providers, ensuring they have the freedom to make their own medical decisions regarding abortion and contraception. Not only that, our commitment to health care in the state has earned us a ranking of fourth “healthiest” state, according to a new report from the United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association. And, finally, we are making it easier for people to participate in the democratic process by passing legislation on early voting and approving a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting, bringing Connecticut in line with the majority of states in the country.
There are so many things that make Connecticut a great place to live, work and raise a family. This is thanks in part to our governor and state legislators, who are committed to ensuring the well-being of all residents, and to building for the future, but also thanks to the people of Connecticut, who share their lives with us by telling us what they want and need.
Our next legislative session begins Feb. 7 and I’m excited to advance the work we did in the last session and ensure we continue to attract new families and businesses and create opportunities for all residents to make a better future.
State Rep. Rachel Khanna is a Democrat whose district includes parts of Greenwich and Stamford.
