The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
For 1st time, half of all state agencies led by women
HARTFORD — For the first time in Connecticut’s history, women comprise half the governor’s cabinet.
Gov. Ned Lamont heralded this fact as “historic” on Friday, International Women’s Day, at the first meeting of his Council on Women and Girls.
“We made a couple promises during the campaign. Susan and I said we wanted to have the most diverse administration in the history of the state,” Lamont, referring to Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, chairwoman of the council. “We wanted to have women represented in equal proportion as they are in our state.”
Women have been named to head Lamont’s departments of Children and Families, Energy and Environmental Protection, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Consumer Protection, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services and Housing and the offices of Early Childhood and Heath Strategy.
Melissa McCaw, Lamont’s secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management, arguably the most powerul nonelected executive post, is vice chairwoman of the Council on Women and Girls. Women are leading the Departments of Agriculture and Education until replacements are identified. Three commissioners have yet to be nominated.
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill was reelected with Lamont and Bysiewicz in November.
Lamont’s cabinet has significant racial diversity.
Lamont announced an updated domestic violence policy for the state’s 50,000 employees on Friday.
The new policy clarifies agency responsibilities in responding to domestic violence. It permits victims to take paid or unpaid leave to seek medical or psychological care, relocate, get victim services or participate in civil or criminal proceedings. It also makes clear that stalking falls under the definition of family violence.
“According to national studies, one in seven women have been stalked by an intimate partner and believed they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed,” Bysiewicz said. “This policy demonstrates this administration’s commitment to providing appropriate supports for victims of domestic violence and stalking.”