Dear Neighbor,
The 2019 legislative session has come to a close, and we have accomplished many of the goals set out for this year’s agenda. The budget, which makes critical investments in education and provides fiscal stability with no income or broad based sales tax increases or cuts to municipal aid, was passed on time! This budget is not only balanced, but protects taxpayers into the future. We are also protecting our most vulnerable, investing in the middle class, and encouraging economic growth for Connecticut.
We worked on policies that support small businesses, workforce development and make our state a place where we can proudly raise our families. I am committed to continuing to fight for you to build a brighter future for Connecticut and our Meriden community.
I hope you find the enclosed information helpful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of service to you or your family. It is my pleasure and honor to serve as your state representative.
Sincerely,
Computer Science Instruction
We are now requiring that schools teach computer science, specifically making computer programming a required part of computer science classes. Computer science is a foundational skill for 21st century jobs, and impacts almost every industry in the state including manufacturing, financial services, cybersecurity, health care, law, construction and technology. We must make sure our students are prepared to succeed in the digital age.
African American, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies
We are expanding social studies to include an important part of our shared culture: African-American, Puerto Rican and Latino history. Through the teaching of this curriculum, we all become more aware of both the suffering
and accomplishments of our fellow Americans. It helps all students to have a fuller picture of the challenges and resilience of our African American and Latino populations.
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.
Protecting Our Water
A major accomplishment of the 2019 legislative session was passing the State Water Plan, which defines our water supply as a “public trust” to ensure our water resources are protected, and that clean drinking water is accessible for all.
Meals on Wheels
We are increasing funding for the state’s Meals on Wheels program in order to keep our seniors fed. Elderly nutrition is very important, and a new law we passed requires the Department of Public Health develop recommendations to track client nutrition and quality of care.
Mental Health Parity
Diseases of the brain and body need to be treated equally in society and by insurance companies. We unanimously passed the Mental Health Parity Act which gives people with mental health and substance use disorders the same access to care as those with cancer and heart disease. One in four Americans has or will be affected by mental health or a substance use disorder. It should be just as easy to receive treatment for depression or addiction as it is for heart disease or diabetes.
Workforce Pipeline
In order to make sure that we are properly educating and training our students to take advantage of good paying, high-tech jobs, we passed legislation that requires school districts as a part of their student success plans to create and provide evidence of career exploration including manufacturing careers and develop career placement goals for students choosing not to pursue an advanced degree. The bill also requires the Department of Education to study the demand for career and technical education teachers in the state’s technical high schools, traditional public high schools, and community college advanced manufacturing technology centers and recommend ways to expand opportunities for experienced manufacturing professionals to become teachers.
Foreclosure Mediation
We are helping families stay in their homes by extending the state’s Foreclosure Mediation Program for people facing tough times. Created during the 2008 recession to help those impacted by the housing market crisis, it requires mortgage lenders to use mediation to avoid foreclosures.
Foreclosures have affected many Connecticut homeowners from wealthy communities to inner cities, with a success rate of 86%. The program has assisted nearly 30,000 homeowners reach settlements with their lenders, allowing them to keep their homes.
This bill also formally names the program after my friend and colleague, the late Representative Ezequiel Santiago of Bridgeport, who fought to continue the Foreclosure Mediation program.
Paid Family Medical 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. The program provides replacement wages so that patients and caregivers can take time off and make ends meet. I was proud to support and vote on this historic legislation this year.
Minimum Wage
No one who works full time should live in poverty. This session I was proud to co-sponsor and vote on a measure that will allow Connecticut families to have more economic security as the state’s minimum hourly wage gradually rises to $15.00 by June 1, 2023. This legislation will help over 300,000 Connecticut workers who make less than $15 an hour. The wage will increase on October 1 to $11 an hour, followed by incremental increases over the next 4½ years until $15.00 is reached.
Veterans and First Responders
Increasing Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans: We increased the property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans and service members. This additional financial benefit will help make Connecticut a little more affordable for those who have given so much for our country.
Covering Police and Firefighters for PTSD: We 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.
Motor Vehicle Licenses and Registrations
While the Department of Motor Vehicles has made great strides in reducing wait times, we will always look for ways to improve its services and further reduce the burden to our residents. We have provided you the option of extending your vehicle registration to three years and your driver’s licenses to eight year durations so that you will have more time between needed visits to the DMV.
Supporting our Seniors
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.