CT Kid Governor Gets Her Day At The Capitol

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Southington resident and Connecticut's sixth Kid Governor, Reese Naughton, was finally able to make it to the state Capitol building.

Reese was on-hand Monday to receive full honors with an introduction on the House Floor by Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, State Rep. John Fusco, and the Southington Delegation.

During her time in Hartford, Kid Governor Naughton was able to take in the sights and artifacts with a private walk-through of the Capitol, and also had a one-on-one visit with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

Here's what legislators had to say:

• "Southington should be proud of the amazing young woman who represents our community as Connecticut's Kid Governor," Fusco (R-81) said. "I am absolutely honored to have had the opportunity to meet such an energetic, driven, and inspiring young person and to have also had the privilege of introducing her on the House Floor — as the first in-person Point of Privilege since 2019."
• "Electing the state’s kid governor is a wonderful initiative that promotes mental and physical health, encourages children to become developers of change and spreads awareness regarding important topics," State Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco (R-80) said. "I am proud that Connecticut's newest kid governor is a resident of Southington, and I fully support programs such as this that encourage civic engagement amongst our young students. It's programs like these that are an investment into our future and will help create strong, sound leaders."
• "It's fantastic to see young people getting involved because they truly want to make a difference in the lives of those around them," state Rep. Donna Veach (R-30) said. "I want to commend Reese for choosing to focus her kid governor platform on a topic as important and critical as one's mental health. I have a feeling that being named Connecticut's 2021 Kid Governor is just the tip of the iceberg for Reese, she has an extremely bright future ahead of her."
• "The Kid Governor’s platform directly aligns with platform of Children Committee; we have worked diligently to protect Children's mental health throughout COVID crisis and beyond. My children and I are taking Kid Governor Reese’s advice and spending as much time outdoors to elevate our endorphins and serotonin levels while spending time together. I'd like to thank Reese for her hard work, for promoting evidence-based therapies to ward off depression and anxiety, and for being a great voice for kids across Connecticut," said state Rep. Liz Linehan (D-103), chairwoman of the Children’s Committee.
• State Sen. Rob Sampson (R-16) shared, "I was delighted to meet Connecticut’s Outstanding Kid Governor, Reese Naughton. We talked about her summer plans and how Covid has affected her life this past year. Also, we spoke about her goals to keep people's minds and bodies healthy, even through this horrendous year. I admire her focus on the silver linings of Covid and I wish her continued success."

The Connecticut Democracy Center coordinates the CT Kid Governor Program through the Old State House. The annual, statewide project is open to all fifth-grade students – who then participate in an election process to choose the next Kid Governor, who is sworn in each January. The CT Kid Governor's 2021 Platform is "Be Positive: Pandemic Perseverance,"spreading positivity and helping those still struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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To learn more about the free, public program: http://ct.kidgovernor.org/.

To view more photos and information, visit: www.RepFusco.com/KidGov.