Press Releases
October 30, 2009
BARKHAMSTED BRIDGE PROJECT APPROVED
BY STATE
State Representative Annie Hornish, who represents Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, announced that the state Bond Commission today approved funding for rehabilitation work on the Route 181 bridge over the Farmington River in Barkhamsted. READ MORE
October 8, 2009
STATE LAW DELIVERS ADDED REVENUE
FOR BARKHAMSTED,
EAST GRANBY, GRANBY, NEW HARTFORD
State Representative Annie Hornish, who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, said legislation passed in 2006 applies a $10 surcharge to motor vehicle violations that is then given to the municipality where the violation occurred. READ MORE
September 25, 2009
EAST GRANBY, BARKHAMSTED, NEW HARTFORD PROJECTS APPROVED BY STATE
State Representative Annie Hornish, who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, announced that funding for three local projects have been approved by the state Bond Commission. READ MORE
May 22, 2009
HORNISH BACKS HEALTHCARE REFORM BILL
State Representative Annie Hornish, who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, hailed House passage of legislation that opens the doors to more affordable, quality health care for thousands of residents and provides significant savings to businesses and municipalities. READ MORE
May 6, 2009
As the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to town and gets set to open a series of performances in Hartford at the XL Center this evening, a group of lawmakers convening across Bushnell Park at the State Capitol voiced their concern over the abuse of elephants used in the show. The lawmakers were planning to join demonstrators outside tonight’s show. READ MORE
March 20, 2009
REP. HORNISH LOOKS TO REDUCE
START-UP COSTS FOR NEW BUSINESSES
State Representative Annie Hornish (D-Granby), who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, is sponsoring legislation being considered by the Legislature’s Energy Committee that would reduce required deposits paid to utility companies by new business entities. READ MORE
March 3, 2009
HORNISH BACKS BUSINESS BILLS PROTECTING TAXPAYERS
State Representative Annie Hornish (D-Granby), who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, is sponsoring legislation that takes aim at securities fraud and excessive executive pay by companies receiving state assistance. READ MORE
January 26, 2009
HORNISH PROPOSES 5-CENT FEE
ON PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS
State Representative Maryanne “Annie” Hornish (D-Granby), who represents the towns of Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby and New Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly, is sponsoring legislation that would impose a five cent fee on plastic shopping bags provided by retails stores. READ MORE
January 12, 2009
REP. HORNISH TAKES OFFICE AT STATE CAPITOL
Newly sworn-in State Representative Maryanne “Annie” Hornish (D-Granby) officially took office January 7 at the State Capitol as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. READ MORE
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Columns by Annie Hornish
October 27, 2009
IMPERSONATION BY CONNECTICUT REPUBLICAN PARTY INAPPROPRIATE
Recently, I was one of many Democratic legislators who were victims of impersonation through fake Twitter accounts and fake websites. (Twitter is a very popular social networking internet site in which many millions of people participate.) A defamatory Twitter account and website were both created in my name and without my permission. The Twitter account was eventually shut down, but the phony website remains active. READ MORE
October 13, 2009
AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS
Alarmingly, around 80 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, to which approximately 1 million deaths per year (or 40% of all deaths) are attributed. One-third of these deaths (over 300,000) are due to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), an abrupt loss of heart function whereby the heart’s electrical activity becomes disordered, and collapse and cardiac arrest soon follow. The person who experiences SCA may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. Here in Connecticut, around 115 athletes die each year from SCA when performing. READ MORE
October 6, 2009
HOW TOWN PLANNING EARNS STATE GRANTS
State STEAP (Small Town Economic Assistance Program) grants are from a fund designated for capital projects that involve economic development, community conservation, and quality of life projects for smaller non-urban municipalities. All four towns in our 62nd district (Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby, and New Hartford) are eligible for these grants. READ MORE
September 29, 2009
PROBATE COURTS REDUCED FROM 117 TO 54
Connecticut’s current probate court system is no longer economically sustainable and is estimated to be losing about $20,000 a day. Because of this, the Legislature created a Probate Redistricting Commission (PA 09-114) earlier this year, and last week we passed the recommendations of the Commission (HB 7001), which is expected to be signed by the Governor. READ MORE
September 22, 2009
ENERGY EFFICIENCY GRANTS
AWARDED TO TOWNS
Energy efficiency is imperative for many reasons in addition to being simply good for the environment. Responsible energy use is important for national security in that we reduce reliance on outside energy sources, particularly foreign oil, and preserve precious energy resources for future generations. READ MORE
September 15, 2009
WHAT IS A “LINE ITEM VETO"?
The term “line item veto” recently made statewide news when Governor Rell pronounced that she was planning to utilize this powerful tool to remove items she disagreed with in the budget that passed through the Connecticut legislature last week. READ MORE
September 8, 2009
LIBRARY FUNDING MAINTAINED
Public libraries are much more than community conveniences. They provide fundamental educational and literary services and are a critical part of our democracy.
READ MORE
September 1, 2009
STATE BUDGET PASSED,
PENDING GOVERNOR'S ACTION
The biennial state budget for fiscal years 2010-11 (July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011) passed the legislature after many months of negotiations with the Governor. This budget could have been resolved long ago, but many things would have been included that would have hurt the middle class, small businesses, nonprofits, and social services. These were things worth fighting for that protect not only our quality of life, but provide opportunity and justice for all citizens. READ MORE
August 25, 2009
HOME CARE SERVICES TO EXPAND
FOR SENIORS
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the new “Silver Alert” law and how, like the well known “Amber Alert” for missing children, it will help to locate missing seniors (and others) more quickly. This week, I’d like to let you know about another piece of legislation passed this year that also will help to improve quality of life for seniors in terms of healthcare. READ MORE
August 18, 2009
WHY CULTURE AND TOURISM IS VITAL TO CONNECTICUT’S ECONOMIC HEALTH
Last Tuesday (August 11, 2009), I was among the legislators who attended a press conference at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford. The purpose of the conference was to highlight a particular aspect of the budget controversy: How to fund Culture and Tourism in Connecticut. The Stowe House, a Connecticut landmark, was an apt setting. As you may recall, Connecticut-native Harriet Beecher Stowe’s antislavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1852) made her a voice for social justice and civic responsibility. READ MORE
August 11, 2009
KEEPING SENIOR CITIZENS SAFER
WITH THE “SILVER ALERT”
A vital role of our state government is to help ensure a good quality of life for our senior citizens. This is accomplished through public policies that help safeguard independence, health, economic security, and safety for seniors. Several pieces of legislation were passed this year that specifically target the goal of improving quality of life for seniors, including SB 451/PA 09-109, An Act Establishing a Silver Alert System. READ MORE
August 4, 2009
POOL SAFETY TIPS FOR CHILDREN
AND ANIMALS
Warm weather means fun in the sun and family fun by the pool. However, pools can be dangerous. Whether in your backyard or at a public pool, we must all make sure that we take the proper safety precautions to reduce the chances of summer tragedies. READ MORE
July 28, 2009
TRAFFIC SAFETY
My father was a Sergeant for the Enfield Police Department for many years, where he served as the Traffic Safety Officer. Drawing from both his professional experience and Yankee common sense, he taught me of the important role that government can play, through sensible public policy, in helping to keep motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians safe on our streets. This year, several good pieces of legislation made it into law that I feel will make travel safer for Connecticut citizens. READ MORE
July 21, 2009
GOVERNOR, WE RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE
Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed twenty bills this year, including the budget proposal. Nineteen vetoes were from the regular session and one veto was from the special session. READ MORE
July 14, 2009
VETOS & OVERRIDES
As you may recall, once a bill is voted favorably out of the House of Representatives and the Senate, it then goes to the Secretary of State, where it’s issued a public act number, and then on to the Governor’s desk. Once the Governor receives the bill, she has three choices: 1) sign the bill into law, 2) veto the bill, or 3) do nothing, and after a certain timeframe (within 5 days during the legislative session or within 15 days after the session adjourns), the bill becomes law without her signature. READ MORE
July 7, 2009
INDEPENDENCE DAY
On Memorial Day, I had the honor of marching in East Granby’s parade, and this past weekend, on July 4th, I had the honor of marching in Barkhamsted’s annual Independence Day parade. There was a great turnout at both events, and the weather was beautiful on both days, which as we know is a small miracle considering this year’s weather! READ MORE
June 30, 2009
ELECTION TO FILL U.S. SENATE VACANCIES
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” An equally pessimistic view was shared by Lord Acton, who is credited for the famous line “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” READ MORE
June 23, 2009
HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW
Over the past few weeks, I’ve informed you about some of the legislation passed by the Connecticut General Assembly this year at the State Capitol. To better grasp how this is accomplished, it helps to have an understanding of the process of how a bill becomes a law. READ MORE
June 16, 2009
TWO LESSER-KNOWN BILLS
AND A LOST OPPORTUNITY
While Governor Rell and legislative leaders continue to work toward a budget agreement in time for the new fiscal year which begins July 1, I thought that I would share some information on a few more bills from the 2009 General Assembly that have the potential to impact you and even your pets. READ MORE
June 9, 2009
MORE END-OF-SESSION LEGISLATION
Per the Connecticut Constitution, the 2009 regular legislative session closed at midnight on Wednesday, June 3. With no budget agreement reached with the Governor, we are now in a special session of the General Assembly called for the sole purpose of adopting a State budget to cover the next two years. READ MORE
June 1, 2009
LEGISLATIVE SESSION WINDS DOWN –
BUDGET STILL NEEDS WORK
As I write this on Sunday, May 31, I anticipate the final three days of the 2009 Connecticut legislative session to be very fast paced as we approach the June 3 midnight constitutional deadline. READ MORE
May 26, 2009
CAPITOL UPDATE: FINAL WEEKS OF SESSION
The last week of the Connecticut legislative session is upon us, and things are moving very quickly in order to complete legislative business by the constitutional deadline of June 3 at midnight. READ MORE
May 19, 2009
SICK - GO TO WORK OR STAY HOME?
Recent media attention on the swine flu pandemic has reminded us all of the ease of transmissibility of some illnesses, and how certain strains of disease-causing organisms, by virtue of their potency, demand stringent responses and preventative measures as dictated by public health policies. READ MORE
May 12, 2009
APB ON BPA
A coalition of parents, health professionals, environmentalists, and lawmakers, including myself, recently joined together in support for legislation that would ban certain products containing bisphenol-A.
READ MORE
May 5, 2009
BUYING HEALTHCARE
IN BULK LOWERS COST
Opportunity is knocking once again. Last year, the General Assembly launched an initiative to help save cities and towns millions of dollars annually. I’m referring to the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership, a plan to open the state employee health insurance plan to small businesses, municipal employees, and non-profits. Think of it as bulk purchasing for healthcare. In 2008, the legislation was passed by the General Assembly but vetoed by the governor. READ MORE
April 28, 2009
ELEPHANT ABUSE IN CIRCUSES
The state budget deficit and economic climate is foremost on many people’s minds these days, and at the Legislature I’ve been working diligently on ways to help strengthen small businesses. Yet there are numerous bills that have been raised that address other types of issues, like consumer protection, social justice, and those that concern the treatment of animals. READ MORE
April 21, 2009
GETTING CLOSER
TO A BALANCED BUDGETDays ago, Republicans in the Legislature submitted their own biennial budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal years 2010-11, making up a two-year deficit of $8.1 billion. Although this is $600 million short of the projected $8.7 billion estimated by the legislature’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis, it is nonetheless a good starting point to begin discussions. READ MORE
April 14, 2009
THE DEBATE OVER ARTIFICIAL TURFThe Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is currently working on a scientific study due by July 2010 to determine if recycled rubber used in artificial turf fields poses a toxic hazard to those using them. Legislation that I supported in the General Assembly’s Environment Committee calls for a moratorium on using state funds for installing new artificial turf fields until the DEP analysis is completed. READ MORE
April 6, 2009
BALANCING A BUDGET
IN TRYING TIMES
In these challenging economic times, most everyone recognizes and accepts that some degree of economic sacrifice is on the horizon. The state budget deficit has grown to billions of dollars and will demand drastic cuts in government spending, increases in revenues (fees and taxes), and potential borrowing in order to be balanced. The difficulty in crafting this budget is that it must be done in such a way that prepares us for future growth without making the current economic crisis worse. READ MORE
March 30, 2009
ENCOURAGING REUSABLE
SHOPPING BAGS
As we all consider ways of going ‘green’, one of the easiest and most effective changes is to use reusable shopping bags. By bringing our own bags to carry groceries and other purchases from stores, we personally contribute to a cleaner environment. READ MORE
March 23, 2009
EXCESSIVE EXECUTIVE PAY
Government aid and investment in private sector businesses is deservedly receiving heightened scrutiny because of our troubled economy. With this in mind, I decided to sponsor legislation that could help better protect Connecticut residents by reigning in excessive executive pay for companies receiving state taxpayer assistance. This legislation was mentioned in this paper last week, and I’d like to elaborate on this topic here. READ MORE
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