Senator Chris Murphy has started his now annual summer Walk Across Connecticut.  He is headed west to east this year and began the 5-day trek in New Milford yesterday afternoon.  A couple met him at the top of his first big hill with ice water.  He also spoke with a group of kids who said they were on board with efforts to raise the age for tobacco purchases to 21.

Murphy headed to Woodbury where he met with a couple out for a walk.  They said health care costs are hurting their small business, but were not in favor of Medicare for All.  Murphy recently introduced the Choose Medicare Act, which would allow anyone to enroll as an individual.  It would also open Medicare to employers of all sizes. 

He also with a group of men working on a house.  They noted that they were Republicans and talked about taxes being too high.  They were working an emergency job for an elderly woman being released from the hospital, who needed a ramp installed. After lett them get back to work, and heading up another hill, one of the men pulled up and handed Murphy a cold bottle of water.

He says too often people are judged on their politics, but everyone he met seemed like a good person.  Murphy says he learned that everyone would be better off if there was not an assumption of knowing someone because of who they vote for.