CHESTER – State Representative Christine Palm (D-36) is convening a Young Earner Prosperity Roundtable in Hartford on Oct. 10 to give members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations an opportunity to share with State officials their concerns and aspirations. Gov. Ned Lamont will help kick off the event and members of various Executive Branch agencies, including the Dept. of Economic and Community Development, will attend. The event is free and open to the public.
The Young Earner Prosperity Roundtable will feature a panel of young adult workers from throughout the state willing to help inform lawmakers, agency heads, members of the business community, civic organizations and representatives from academic institutions about such issues as entrepreneurship, college debt, access to credit, livable cities, creative partnerships, and opportunities to make Connecticut more affordable and attractive to members of the younger generations of workers.
Palm worked with three young constituents as interns on the project, whom she credits with helping to develop the idea and organize the event. Connor Riordan of Chester, now a freshman at Harvard, served as project director; Arjun Badami of Higganum, a senior at Haddam-Killingworth High School, is project coordinator; and Finn Riordan of Chester, a sophomore at Valley Regional High School, created the project’s website.
“I’m partnering with these remarkable young constituents, and several Millennial colleagues in the General Assembly, because my generation (Baby Boomers) came up in a very different world full of economic and cultural opportunity that has largely eroded,” Palm said. “It’s absolutely critical for lawmakers like me to acknowledge this generational divide, because many currently serving in government and in executive positions in business can’t fully understand the experiences of their younger successors when it comes to living and working in Connecticut.”
Palm says having four Millennial sons of her own gave her the impetus to try to make government more responsive to the needs of that generation (born 1981-1994 and also known as Gen Y), as well as young workers from Gen Z (born in/after 1995 and just now graduating and/or embarking on their careers).
“Providing a forum for young earners to offer their unique perspectives will generate new avenues of discussion and new ideas to explore, which could provide the basis for successful initiatives and possible legislation that will help us attract and retain young earners,” Palm said.
Palm is co-hosting the event with Rep. Caroline Simmons (Stamford), and will be joined at the roundtable by many Millennial legislative colleagues, including House Majority Leader Matt Ritter (Hartford); Rep. Jillian Gilchrest (West Hartford), Rep. Quentin Phipps (Middletown); Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan (Bethel); Sen. Matt Lesser (Middletown); and Sen. Will Haskell (Westport).
Palm says there are four main goals of the project:
- Bring stakeholders together with the common desire to gain the understanding and perspective needed to change the State’s way of doing business in order to attract and retain young earners for Connecticut’s economic, demographic and cultural growth;
- Help decision-makers consider a system where the needs of these workers are not “siloed” but instead are seen as a constellation of challenges with inter-connected solutions;
- Hold subsequent, in-depth forums on specific topics in various districts throughout the state; and
- Develop possible Legislative and Executive Branch initiatives for the 2020 Session.
To learn more about the project, go to: http://www.housedems.ct.gov/YEP
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submitted by Richard Price, 10/3/19
House Democrats Press Office
