Good morning! During New York City's annual Pride March, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on Sunday establishing New York as a “safe haven” for trans youth.
The law requires private health information to be protected, shields medical professionals involved in gender-affirmative and reproductive care and prohibits law enforcement from targeting trans youth. It also updates state documents and agencies to use gender-neutral terms, including “they,” “them” and “theirs,” if a law references a specific person using those pronouns.
“Now, as other states target LGBTQ+ people with bigotry and fear-mongering, New York is fighting back,” Hochul said. “These new laws will enshrine our state as a beacon of hope, a safe haven for trans youth and their families and ensure we continue to lead the nation on LGBTQ+ rights.”
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
A 103-year-old New London elementary school will cease operations after a Board of Education vote earlier this month. Board members cited “benign neglect” from the city and low funds to conduct dire $75 million renovations at Harbor Elementary School as the reason for the closure. The building is also not accessibility compliant. The ultimate fate of the building is unknown, but students and staff will be transferred to the district’s three new magnet elementary schools.
Starbucks employees at three Long Island locations were on strike on Sunday and instead participated in New York City’s Pride Parade. The employees from Farmingville, Wantagh and Lynbrook claimed Starbucks prohibited them from displaying pro-LGBTQ+ decor. Starbucks has denied the accusation and accused the workers of using misinformation for labor talks.
Over the last decade, more than 65% of Connecticut gun charges were dismissed or abandoned. According to a report from the state Office of Legislative Research, over 24,000 gun charges were filed between 2013 and 2022 — with over 13,000 being abandoned by the prosecutor and close to 2,600 being dismissed. Most of these charges were handled this way as parts of plea deals for offenders to have lesser charges dropped while they pleaded guilty to more serious charges.
Connecticut launched a state bike program to promote sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Starting on June 28, individuals and retailers can apply for the Connecticut Electric Bicycle Incentive Program to receive $500-$1,500 in vouchers off of a purchase of an e-bike. Program participants can select an e-bike among 30 available models from participating brick-and-mortar e-bike retailers.
All of Connecticut’s community colleges will consolidate starting on July 1. The colleges will be turned into separate campuses encompassing the new Connecticut State Community College. According to the college's website, the merger was created to address increased financial costs, decreased student enrollment and decreased tuition revenue across all 12 community colleges.
New London was awarded $17 million in federal funds to improve infrastructure. Most of this money will go toward expanding the Water Street Public Parking Garage by 400 spaces. It will additionally be used to construct a pedestrian bridge to connect to the future National Coast Guard Museum Association.
Twenty electric school buses will be rolled out in Connecticut — thanks to $26.4 million from the Federal Transit Administration. This grant will be used to purchase battery electric buses and upgrade the state Department of Transportation infrastructure. These buses are a part of Governor Ned Lamont’s plan to convert the statewide public transportation bus fleet from diesel to zero-emission models by 2035.
Over 50 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more for this year’s Fourth of July weekend — setting a new AAA record. Over 2.8 million people could travel across New England, a 4.7% increase from 2022. Records for the number of people driving and flying to their destination are also expected to be set. Just more than 43 million people are predicted to drive to their destination, a 2.4% increase from 2022, while 4 million people are predicted to fly to their destination, a 11.2% increase from 2022.
