Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Congratulations! You’ve already done one thing right as a Yale student by visiting the Dems’ website. I (Andrew Feldman ‘11, Secretary) and Eliza Scheffler ‘12 (Membership Coordinator) speak for everyone on the Board when we say that we are really excited for you all to come to Yale and get involved in the incredible organizations on campus, especially the Dems!

Whether you’re a political novice or a pro, the Yale Dems is the place to be. The people are incredible (if I do say so myself), the work we do is so real and so awesome. And if you have questions about the Dems, Yale, or life please e-mail us! You can find bios and contact info for the board members under the “contact us” heading at the top of the page, and you can also talk to us on our facebook page, under the 2013 discussion thread.

To get a sense of what we do, take a look back at our activities from the past semester: hearing gubernatorial candidates give up their pitches; rallying for solutions to homelessness at City Hall; traveling to Hartford to lobby for universal health care, and hosting a debate in the race for the city representative from Yale’s district. Pictures are at our picasa page. And, we’ve got some exciting speakers lined up for this fall that are sure not to disappoint.

To sum up: Learn about us from this website. Contact us with your questions. And we hope to see you at an event on campus come September.

Since the Dems went to Hartford to lobby for universal health care in Connecticut, a lot has happened. On May 20, the House passed the SustiNet bill, and then on May 31 it was approved my the Senate. 8 days later, on July 8, the Governor vetoed the bill, saying that “We cannot afford to proceed with this plan given its financial implications.”

Almost 2 weeks later, on July 20, the House and Senate both voted to override the Governor’s veto, and making SustiNet state law. Under the law, the state will spend the next 2 years planning the implementation of the system, which will have to be approved by the legislature. Staring January 1, 2012, enrollement in the plan will begin. You can read about what happens now over at healthcare4every1’s timeline. And for more info, see Christine Stuart’s article on the override.

This is a great victory for the citizens of Connecticut, and in the coming years we can look forward to the prospect of a more equitable health care system that puts people, rather than insurance companies, first. The Yale Dems are proud to have played a small role in lobbying for this progressive change.