Michelle L. Cook

March is Women's History Month and March 8 was International Women's Day - a day to celebrate women who have inspired change throughout history, and recognize those who continue to fight for the fair and equitable treatment of women and girls around the world.

The Connecticut Office of the Arts awarded one-hundred sixty-five (165) Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund grants totaling $864,233. Four organizations in Torrington will receive funding - $36,462 to the Five Points Center for the Visual Arts, $887 to Joyful Noise, Inc. (Chorus Angelicus), $1,640 to the Northwest CT Arts Council and $2,985 to the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory. Congratulations to all of these organizations!

On Tuesday, I joined Governor Ned Lamont, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) New England Regional Administrator Mike Vlacich, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone, and other state officials to announce the approval of Connecticut’s newest governor-designated Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone). The SBA has approved Governor Lamont’s petition to add a HUBZone in Torrington, expanding access and eligibility to SBA’s HUBZone program to the small businesses in the covered areas.

I am sure we share the same concerns about Eversource and United Illuminating, the state's two main electric distribution companies, which both filed for new standard service supply rates with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) that will increase rates by approximately 40%.

A recent report detailed that throughout Connecticut there was an increase of 13% in overall homelessness from 2021 to 2022.

The state has announced a five-year, $46.6 million investment to expand small business assistance programs across Connecticut, specifically supporting small business owners who may have previously experienced barriers to accessing financial support. This initiative will also support startup businesses, which is great news for our economy.

This weekend, several new laws in Connecticut will go into effect on October 1. These laws are a result of my colleagues' hard work during the 2022 session. Below are just some of the laws that will take effect and what they mean for you.

The application period for the 2022-2023 winter season of the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is now open! This program provides crucial support to vulnerable Connecticut homeowners and renters with the costs of heating their homes.