BETHLEHEM – The America 250 Christmas Town Planning Committee has announced that Connecticut Attorney General William Tong will be the featured speaker in March in their series “How Does America’s Democracy Work?” hosted by the Bethlehem library. The series runs from March through June; all programs are educational and non-partisan, open to the public, and free.
On Monday, March 16, Attorney General Tong will speak on The Court System. A Connecticut native, William Tong grew up in the Hartford area and attended schools in West Hartford. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University, and the University of Chicago Law School. He is the 25th Attorney General to serve Connecticut since the office was established by the state constitution in 1897. He first took office in 2019 and is currently serving his second term.
Tong is the oldest of five children and grew up working side-by-side with his immigrant parents in their family’s Chinese restaurant. In 2006, he became the first Asian American elected to any state office in Connecticut history, and the first Chinese American to be elected Attorney General nationwide.
Attorney General Tong is a national leader in many of the most consequential lawsuits and investigations in our country today, including bipartisan, multistate efforts to hold the addiction industry accountable for their role in the opioid crisis; to restore fair competition and prices in the generic drug industry; to hold social media giants accountable for the harms they may cause to kids and young people; to stop robocall scammers; and to ensure corporations safeguard our personal information from misuse and respect consumers’ rights regarding the collection and use of their information.
As a father and the son of immigrant small business owners, Attorney General Tong knows first-hand how Connecticut families are squeezed by rising costs that are unaffordable and unsustainable, and he has prioritized efforts to drive down energy costs, expand access to reliable broadband internet, and ensure access to affordable healthcare.
Attorney General Tong previously practiced for 18 years as a litigator in both state and federal courts. He served for 12 years as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee as well as the Banking Committee.
During his service in the legislature, Attorney General Tong was the author and driver of several major Connecticut laws, helping lead the state’s efforts against gun violence and domestic violence, among many other critical laws and initiatives.
Attorney General Tong currently serves as President of the National Association of Attorneys General. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
Monthly events in the speaker series run from March through June this spring. Remaining topics include Immigration (April 20), the Voting Process & Voting Rights (May 18), and Citizen Responsibility (June 15). Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas will be the speaker on May 18.
All programs take place from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Leever Room of the Bethlehem Library, 32 Main Street South.
Registration is required as seating is limited. To register and for more information, call the Bethlehem Public Library at 203-266-7510, Extension 7, or register online at www.bethlehemlibraryct.org.