Taylor Denson ‘13
This is the first installment of a weekly column on the Connecticut General Assembly.
Last Wednesday, Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut stepped into the chamber of the House of Representatives at the state capitol and began his annual State of the State address. The speech touched on proposed teacher tenure reform and Malloy’s call for an economic revival in the state of Connecticut. Similar to the State of the Union, the State of the State included standing ovations and clapping from both sides of the aisle during the Governor’s address. Signaling the beginning of a new legislative session, it was the first of many busy days to come for the Connecticut General Assembly in the next few months.
I was lucky enough to witness the State of the State first hand, thanks to the Trinity Legislative Internship Program. For the rest of the semester, I will get an intimate look at Connecticut’s state legislature and the job it performs each spring. Interning for Representative Jason Rojas (9th Assembly District), who also happens to work at Trinity as the Director of Community Relations, I will experience committee meetings, sessions on the House floor, lobbying, and communication between Representative Rojas and his constituents. After learning so much in public policy classes at Trinity, the internship will give me the opportunity to translate that academic knowledge into real policy experience. The life of an intern may not always be glamorous, but there may be no better way to begin to learn more about government.
The Connecticut General Assembly is a part-time legislature with full-time responsibilities. The legislators and their staff are responsible for working with Governor Malloy to enact policy, but they only have three active months in which to do so. In a year where Connecticut will face a possible budget deficit, the legislature will be buzzing as they try to compromise on legislation despite the fiscal restraints. The session is just starting to heat up, so look for more on an intern’s experience in Connecticut state government next week.