Mansfield's Haddad to Chair Key Legislative Committee in 2017

MANSFIELD, CT —State Rep. Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield) has been appointed chairman of the legislative Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee.

He will continue to serve on the Appropriations Committee and Government Administrations and Elections Committee.

He was sworn in for the 2017 session last week.

“I’m honored to chair the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, and I’d like to thank the Speaker of the House for my appointment,” Haddad said. “Now more than ever, we need to ensure that higher education is accessible to all Connecticut residents. Whether it’s a four-year college or a job training program, education remains the key to a successful career.

“The challenge for the Higher Education Committee is to promote and encourage quality education in Connecticut at our public universities and colleges, and at private institutions as well, while also working to ensure that access is unrestricted and affordability is maintained. As a member of the committee I’ve championed innovative initiatives like the use of free open source textbooks, and I expect to continue this work as House Chair.

As the legislator closest to the University of Connectociut and a UConn graduate, Haddad has been a sponsor of or has authored several bills regarding higher education.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said, “Ensuring that we have a highly educated and well-trained workforce is critical to growing Connecticut’s economy. As chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, Rep. Haddad will play an important role in facing those challenges.”

The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee has cognizance of all matters relating to the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education, public and private institutions of higher education, and job training institutions and programs.

Photo Credit: House Democrats