Jaime Foster

Tonight at 6:30, I will host a discussion on farms and farmers. I will be joined by a group of agricultural leaders - Nathan Wilson, the Acting State Executive Director of FSA CT, Alex Sereno, the Regional Director of RMA, and Tom Morgart, a State Conservationist from NRCS.

On November 30, I will join Dr. Sandra Chafouleas and Dr. Julian Ford for a discussion on children's mental health. We will focus on a wide range of topics, such as child trauma and trauma-informed organizations, information on funding for the programs associated in schools, and recommendations for CT policy and programming in the future.

I would like to share some excellent fiscal news regarding Connecticut’s rainy-day fund. Our state currently has $3.1 billion saved in this fund, making Connecticut a national leader in budget reserves! The Pew Charitable Trusts found that, in 2020, Connecticut’s reserves grew the second-fastest nationally, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

November 2 is Election Day. Polling locations will be open from 6 am – 8 pm. Although local municipal elections do not receive as much attention as their national counterparts, they are still just as important.

It's seems that almost every day we see stories about the continued increase of mental health issues in our society, especially in children. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning, and social media have all affected our children and their mental well-being.

I have shared pieces of legislation that have hit close to home this year. However, the passage of Public Act 21-78 was by far the most impactful. PA 21-78 strengthened protections for domestic violence victims and survivors.

This afternoon, I will be participating in a read along at Hall Memorial Library in Ellington. I will be reading "Ada Twist, Scientist" by Andrea Beaty, a book geared towards ages 5 through 9 years old that promotes creative and critical thinking. 

This Thursday, I will join Dr. Kevin Diekhaus and Dr. James Castellone for a discussion on common COVID concerns. We will talk about vaccinations, the impact of legislative policy on hospitals, and more.