Dear friend,
Thank you for your support in helping make East Hartford thrive. Each year, our goal is to create a path for a stronger Connecticut and its residents. I am pleased to share a few highlights of some of our accomplishments.
We have great news for the town of East Hartford. East Hartford is getting a 5% increase in state money. Under the spending plan East Hartford is slated to receive $54,602,091, which is a $2.5 million increase from the current state grants to the town. This aid makes up nearly one-third of town revenue. Additional revenue to the town has always been a major goal of mine in order to help relieve the local property tax burden.
Our biennial budget was delivered on time, under the constitutional spending cap and includes significant advancements like a plan for debt-free community college and the social security tax exemption.
The budget provides fiscal stability with no increases in income tax rates, broad-based increases in sales tax rates, and doesn’t include cuts to municipal aid. It is balanced now, and protects taxpayers into the future. We are also protecting our most vulnerable citizens, investing in the middle class, and encouraging economic growth for all of Connecticut residents.
Additionally, I proudly co-sponsored a bill removing the statute of limitations for sexual assault crimes against minors who are vulnerable due to their limited life experiences. I strongly believe this is a critical step towards protecting our children.
As always, I am honored to serve you and our great city. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions as to how I can better serve you. Thank you, again, for entrusting me with the privilege to work on your behalf at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
Helping Seniors
Tackling Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: In order to ensure the proper care for seniors, we modified continuing education requirements for physicians to include diagnosing and treating cognitive conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, delirium, related cognitive impairments and geriatric depression.
Background Checks for Caregivers: Keeping our vulnerable population safe is a top priority. We made it easy to do a background check to identify potentially dangerous individuals seeking jobs that have contact with the elderly.
Making CT Affordable For Seniors: We maintained the tax exemptions for Social Security income and the phase-in of a tax exemption on pension income to help make our state more affordable to seniors.
Meals on Wheels: We increased the funding for the state’s Meals on Wheels program in order to keep our most vulnerable seniors fed.
Honoring Our Veterans
In-State Tuition for Military Families will be granted to spouses and children of service members stationed in the state who may get orders to move elsewhere. Allowing in-state tuition to stay with the student helps Connecticut support our military and their families.
Increasing Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans: We increased the base property tax exemption for certain disabled service members and veterans by $500. By doing so, we also increased the additional income-based exemption for such service members and veterans, which is calculated using the base exemption, by $250 or $1,000, depending on their income.
Giving Working Families the Support They Deserve
PAID FAMILY LEAVE: In the event of a medical emergency, Paid Family and Medical Leave allows workers to care for themselves or a loved one without having to face the threat of financial ruin. By providing up to 12 weeks of Family and Medical Leave Insurance per year, equaling up to 95% of an employee’s weekly paycheck, we will provide financial protection to those who find themselves in an unanticipated medical emergency. This will help pregnant women on medically-ordered bedrest, families with an infirm or aging parent, and new parents who want to bond with an infant. The program is funded by employee contributions. If you or your family has an emergency, there will be financial peace-of-mind. (Public Act 19-25)
RAISING WAGES: I was proud to vote to raise the minimum wage, because I believe no one who works full time should live in poverty. Connecticut families will have more economic security as the state’s minimum hourly wage gradually rises to $15.00 by June 1, 2023. This legislation will provide an immediate raise to over 300,000 workers in our state when the wage rises to $11.00 on October 1, 2019, followed by incremental increases until $15.00 is reached.
This legislation will:
- Combat persistent pay disparities between races and genders
- Stimulate our economy
- Raise the minimum wage incrementally until it reaches $15.00 an hour on June 1, 2023.
- Index future minimum wage increases (Public Act 19-4)
Gun Safety
Ethan’s Law
Ethan’s Law, named after Ethan Song who tragically lost his life due to an improperly stored gun, requires the safe storage of all firearms in a home with children under 18.
This legislation will:
- Keep children safe from gun violence, reducing gun deaths
- Demand greater responsibility by those storing firearms
Covering Police and Firefighters for PTSD
We have passed legislation which will provide workers’ compensation benefits for police officers, parole officers and firefighters suffering from PTSD due to events in the line of duty. Our first responders see violence and death on a too frequent basis and we must help them cope with the effects of these tragic experiences.
This legislation will:
- Establish eligibility criteria to receive PTSD benefits
- Provide the benefits up to 52 weeks and within four years of an event
- Develop a peer support policy
- Offer training in resilience and self-care
- Study the feasibility of expanding these benefits to include EMS and Department of Correction employees
- Prohibit a law enforcement unit from disciplining police officers solely because they receive mental health services, or have surrendered their work weapons or ammunition (Public Act 19-17)
Expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program
We have heard from manufacturers that they have good, family-supporting jobs open, but we lack a trained workforce interested in manufacturing careers. To change this dynamic, we have developed a program for our public and private colleges to partner with our public high schools to provide students with a pathway to earning an Advanced Manufacturing Certificate while enrolled in high school. The program may also allow for the school to provide evening and weekend classes for adults looking to earn their certificate. (Public Act 19-103)
Green Jobs and Net Metering
Green energy is good for the planet and our economy. This legislation will help continue deployment of solar energy, increasing green jobs and economic activity.
This legislation will:
- Extend renewable energy programs, including traditional net metering and the Green Bank’s renewable solar investment program
- Expand virtual net metering cap which will reduce energy costs for municipalities
- Require DOT to put together a land inventory on which lands are suitable for Class I energy resources. For example, solar energy on lands adjacent to state highways (Public Act 19-35)