The State Legislature’s Latino Caucus, led by State Rep. Andres Ayala (D-Bridgeport), along with the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC) and a group of statewide Latino agencies, held a press conference today to kick off the 2nd Latino Advocacy Day at the State Capitol.
“I am excited to host our 2nd Latino Advocacy Day at the State Capitol,” Ayala said. “This is an event that I began planning a couple of years ago, and I am pleased to see it grow and become an important event here in Hartford. I thank the governor and my legislative leadership for their support and commitment to the Hispanic community.”
The group hosted Governor Dannel P. Malloy and other state leaders, including Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and Majority Leader Brendan S. Sharkey (D-Hamden), to bring attention to the commitment and work Latino community agencies perform in their respective area of service.
Speaker Donovan said, “I commend Rep. Ayala and the Latino Caucus for this great event, where we come together to learn more about the important services offered by various Latino agencies. We share the same goals of improving our communities and ensuring that essential services are kept in place.”
This year’s theme, Latino Agencies ARE the Safety Net, is looking to build stronger relationships with state government and finding ways to preserve vital services to the vast Latino community they represent.
Several Latino agencies and individuals from across the state participated at this event and joined in the celebration. Many advocated and discussed the importance and relevance of the growing Hispanic population in the state and state government.
There are currently nine Latino legislators in the General Assembly: Reps. Ayala (D-Bridgeport), Ezequiel Santiago (D-Bridgeport), Minnie Gonzalez (D-Hartford), Hector Robles (D-Hartford), Kelvin Roldan (D-Hartford), Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford), Bobby Sanchez (D-New Britain), Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) and David Aldarondo (D-Waterbury).
