Brooke Evans, a retired special needs instructor from Seymour, was one of 98 Connecticut residents who participated in the state’s first citizens’ assembly, held at Yale’s Linsly-Chittenden Hall in New Haven. The assembly, designed to encourage non-politicians to engage in policy-making, focused on property taxes and their impact on the community.

Assembly Process

The participants, selected by lottery, will spend the next several weeks hearing from experts and deliberating on potential policies in groups. They will eventually draft recommendations for Connecticut lawmakers, representing their public-service-funding priorities. Hélène Landemore, a political science professor at Yale, designed and will oversee the event, which she organized along with state Comptroller Sean Scanlon and other political scientists.

Kenya Rutland, an assembly facilitator, told attendees that the event was not only about learning about property taxes but also about socializing and bonding as a group. The assembly’s motto is ‘experts on tap, citizens on top,’ emphasizing the importance of citizen involvement in policy-making.

Demographics and Representation

The assembly’s demographics reflected those of the state, with 57.3% of participants identifying as Democrats, 22.3% as Republicans, and 20.4% as independents. The participants were also representative of the state’s geographic distribution, with most coming from suburban areas.

Dawris Gomez, a participant from Bridgeport, said she was drawn to the assembly because of its promise of action and its focus on the voices of those most affected by the policies discussed. The assembly’s goal is to provide a platform for citizens to engage in meaningful dialogue and to produce recommendations that reflect the community’s needs and priorities.

Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.