Maria Horn

The last week or so has been characterized by a series of extreme events.  The weather included a near miss from Hurricane Henri, and heavy rains dumped throughout the state by Henri’s sister Ida.  Those rains produced extensive flooding throughout the region, and caused the tragic death of State Trooper Brian Mohl whose car was swept away in rushing water.

Yesterday was the third Thursday in four weeks that found me driving back home after travel that took me out of Connecticut, and I was reminded once again of how special our part of the world is, and how grateful I am that we were spared the wrath of Hurricane Henri. 

Last night I returned from my longest road trip of the summer, driving with my eldest daughter who is moving back from Minneapolis to attend graduate school in New England. I enjoyed the trip, but it also felt very good to arrive home, watching the landscape become more familiar as we approached.

I hope you are all finding respite from this week’s heat.  I’ve definitely adjusted (and limited) my morning run, kept lots of water on hand, and sought out shade where possible.  Overall, slowing down a bit where you can, and looking out for neighbors and co-workers, will help us all make it through this (and the next) heat wave. 
 

As this week was my summer break in the mountains and lakes of New Hampshire with my brothers and their families, this newsletter is an abbreviated one.   I’ll be back in full next week. 
 

When the legislative pace slows in the summer, it’s a great opportunity to take a longer view, as there aren’t as many immediate fires to put out.  I’ve been able to sit down with local and state policy experts and have longer conversations than are possible during our session. 

Although we’re not in session, summer legislative activities continue in the form of bill signings, task forces getting filled, and implementation beginning.  Enacting a bill is just one step in the legislative process, and the success of a new law depends tremendously on the communication and implementation that follows. 

Summer can be contradictory. In anticipation of having a wide-open schedule, I got a little carried away and ended up having to cancel a few things when unexpected events arose.  The week began with a legislative conference in Chicago, followed (a little more immediately than expected) by a special session called by the Governor to extend his emergency powers until September 30. The bill under consideration was only four lines long, but given where we are in the pandemic, it required detailed consideration.