Final Legislative Push: Call or Write to Your Legislator TODAY

Your Efforts are not going un-noticed.  In what is predicted as being the last week of budget negotiations between the Governor and the legislature, NOW IS THE TIME to call or write to your legislators on 2 issues:

Budget Negotiations: Reducing the $69 M gap in what was requested and what the Appropriations Committee has proposed. Here are some quick points to include in your message as to why investment in higher education is important for the state of Connecticut:

1. 1. 69% of in-state students who graduate are employed in the State of Connecticut.
   2. 53% of CT’s Engineering workforce are UConn graduates.
   3. UConn’s Economic Impact on CT, reaching every corner of the state, is $6.9 B.
   4. UConn Health is an essential healthcare provider for CT underserved citizens.
   5. Find more highlights here

FOIA Bill Passed by the Senate 23-12; Contact your House legislator and urge support.

Last Wednesday, the Senate Passed SB 1153, An Act Establishing an Exemption from Disclosure for Certain Higher Education Records Pertaining to Teaching, or Research Under the Freedom of Information Act. This Bill, provided to Senator Flexer for submission, protects the abuse of open records requests for faculty research, teaching, and scholarship when those requests are only intended to harass, intimidate, interfere, or discredit scientists whose research or teaching they simply don’t like. Please contact your legislative representative in the House to urge their support of this Bill. Op-ed on SB 1153 posted in the CT Mirror.

This bill has a solid chance of passing and your phone call will have an impact on that happening.

In Solidarity,

Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar, President
Jean McCarthy, Executive Vice President
Michael Bailey, Executive Director
Tel 860.487.0450