Hartford lawmakers express deep concern over President Donald Trump’s order to freeze funding promised in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which U.S. Senator Chris Murphy played a critical role in advancing. The proposed cuts threaten over a billion dollars nationwide for anti-violence and school mental health services, prompting Murphy to declare that stopping funding mid-program is “inhumane” and “illegal.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal further condemns the cuts, labeling them as “stupid and cruel,” particularly given their disproportionate impact on communities of color. The upcoming funding cuts could jeopardize vital local interventions aimed at violence prevention, with organizations like Hartford Communities That Care warning that such reductions may hinder their ability to employ specialists who work directly to prevent street violence and support at-risk individuals.
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