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Advisory council to reschedule legislative breakfast after blizzard; members weigh outreach options
Summary
A planned Feb. 25 legislative breakfast was canceled because of a snowstorm; advisory council members discussed alternative times and formats — afternoon brunches, targeted small meetings with legislators, and pairing outreach with public events — and agreed the legislative committee will follow up with targeted outreach.
The Connecticut State Advisory Council for Special Education postponed its planned legislative breakfast after a storm and spent a portion of its Feb. 25 meeting weighing alternatives to connect with lawmakers.
Chair Missy Wrigley said the snow forced cancellation and asked whether an afternoon coffee or brunch might attract better attendance. Members suggested flexible approaches: a smaller delegation of SAC members could meet with key legislative chairs and vice chairs rather than expecting the entire council to attend one large breakfast, or the council could pair outreach with a public screening of a dyslexia documentary to boost visibility.
Jeffrey Spar, chair of the council’s legislative committee, said follow-up outreach to legislators who received the original invitation is the next practical step. “We can circle back with them and say, hey — you had gotten this invite. It had to be rescheduled to snow — we don't have a date — can we set up a meeting with some key members?” he said. Members agreed the legislative committee should propose a few possible dates and coordinate with staff to secure space and key attendees.
Why it matters: the council uses the legislative breakfast to make policymakers aware of priorities affecting students with disabilities; members said targeted meetings with committee chairs or a modest in-person presence at the statehouse can still raise awareness even if major legislative action this session is unlikely.
Next steps: the legislative committee will meet and propose dates; the executive committee will discuss outreach at its next weekly meeting and follow up with targeted contacts. The council did not take a formal vote on scheduling at this meeting.
