Dear Neighbor,
Back on March 8th, Connecticut had its first confirmed case of coronavirus, right here in Danbury. On March 9th, the Governor declared a state of Public Health and Civil Preparedness Emergencies, confirmed by the General Assembly.
Our lives have been changed ever since as they have never been before.
My commitment to you, your family, and our neighbors has not changed. We will get through this the only way I know of: together. We’ll all be stronger on the other side.
This newsletter is intended to provide you with helpful information and resources, as well as an overview of some of the work my office has been doing during this crisis.
If you have any questions, concerns, or if I can be helpful to you in working with any state agency or understanding how any of our state laws or regulations can affect your work, our schools, or your opportunities, please call or email me anytime.
Stay Healthy and Safe,
Coronavirus Resources
For the most up to date information please visit portal.ct.gov/coronavirus
The CDC, Governor Lamont, and I are right. Wear a mask in public. Maintain “social distance” of at least 6 feet from others. Wash your hands. Be smart and sensible, and we will all be safer.
If you are out of work, you have the right to file for unemployment insurance. Visit www.FileCTUI.com to file your claim or call: 860-263-6975, 203-455-2653, 860-263-6974 or 203-455-2650.
If you are a business owner, the Department of Economic and Community Development is developing and updating guidelines on safe ways to operate your business: business.ct.gov/Recovery. They have also opened a small business hotline: 860-500-2333.
If you notice a business not operating in a safe manner, call 2-1-1.
If you are having trouble paying your residential mortgage or rent, we have worked with banks and landlords to provide you additional time to put together payments. For more information on these programs, visit portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/information-for/homeowners-and-renters.
In addition, we have worked with our federal delegation and the Governor’s office to develop and fund a number of smaller assistance programs ranging from funding for artists to farmers, to helping our schools deal with unexpected expenditures. For more on these, please visit my website www.housedems.ct.gov/Godfrey.
I know that working with state agencies and our partners during this time can be complicated. Phone lines are crowded, applications may be confusing. My office is here to help. Call or email me at anytime, and I’ll do my best to get you help.
Fighting For You During this Crisis
This has been a remarkably challenging time for all of us. I have vastly increased my constituent service to meet the demands of these unprecedented times. My staff and I have worked with many state agencies to fix issues and problems with your unemployment applications, help your business apply for financial aid, work with the DMV to get your car registered, and provide daily e-mails about the pandemic. I know that in difficult times like this you need our state government’s services more than ever.
That’s why, as always, I’m your advocate.
We have expanded tele-medicine, brought additional COVID-19 testing sites to our Danbury at Danbury Hospital and the Community Health Center (8 Delay Street, Danbury), expanded affordable childcare options for front-line workers, and delayed due dates for state income taxes and municipal property taxes.
If there are more ways that we can make state government work better for you, please let me know.
The Legislative Session That Wasn’t
When the legislative session opened on February 5th, I expected to be working on the issues you needed and wanted. I had personally sponsored bills such as:
- AN ACT PROTECTING EMPLOYEE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND CONSCIENCE (SB 318),
- AN ACT CONCERNING A FAIR WORK WEEK SCHEDULE (HB 5275),
- AN ACT CONCERNING DIABETES AND HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS (SB 1), and
- AN ACT CONCERNING A RISK PROTECTION ORDER OR WARRANT (HB 5448).
But, we closed before they, and almost all other legislation, received a public hearing. My advocacy has continued directly with my colleagues, legislative leadership, and the Governor’s office, and will be part of any special session this year and the next regular session in January.
One of the few votes we took this year in the House of Representatives was for the bond act. I am happy to say that this legislation contained authorizations for state aid for Danbury that I’ve listed below, along with our expected Education Funding for the next two years and reimbursement money we received from the CARES Act. In addition, the bill contained funds for workforce development, launching the Paid Family Medical Leave insurance program, and funding transportation improvements. It is now up to Governor Lamont and the Bond Commission to release these funds, and I will hold them to that.
| City Aid Summary | FY 20 | FY 21* |
|---|---|---|
| Education Cost Sharing | $35,015,511 | $37,738,805 |
| CARES Act Elementary and Secondary Relief | $2,286,030 | |
| LoCIP (Local Capital Improvement Project) |
$561,070 | $561,070 |
| Town Aid Road | $876,484 | $876,484 |
| Grants For Municipal Projects | $2,398,201 | $2,398,201 |
| Total State Aid to Danbury | $41,137,296 | $41,574,560 |
*Fiscal Year 2021 numbers based on projections under current biennial budget and 2020 bonding. These numbers are subject to change by the legislature.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I pay attention to public health experts on the steps we need to take to safely “reopen”, while still wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distance. Under Governor Lamont’s careful and compassionate leadership Connecticut is the number one state to recover. We have more to do.
Already we are working to ensure hospitals and health care providers such as nursing homes have adequate stock of personal protective equipment. And we are working with farmers and food banks to protect and localize our food supply chain.
I also want to make sure that your ability to vote is safe and healthy for you. Our Secretary of the State will be mailing absentee ballot applications to every registered Democrat and Republican for the parties’ presidential primary on August 11. No one should have to choose between their health and their right to vote. However, this does not apply to the November elections. We need a statute to include a pandemic under the definition of an “illness” to apply for an absentee ballot. I expect we will enact this in a special session in July.
Your stories and experiences are important to helping us improve the quality of life for you. How well did the safety net work for you and your family? How can we do better? What services were not available that you really needed? I want to hear from you!