Fred Gee

This week the House of Representatives passed SB 1022, a bill I co-sponsored and advocated passionately for. The bill requires police officers to inform drivers of the reason for a traffic stop - a common practice that will soon be law. This is a commonsense bill that encourages respect for civilians and law enforcement, and I'm so proud to see its passage in the House.

After months of negotiations, the House of Representatives delivered a state budget that includes the largest income tax cut in the state’s history and significant increases in funding for local schools, also known as Education Cost Sharing funds.

This balanced, bipartisan budget maintains our commitment to promoting fiscal responsibility and stability to continue strengthening our economy, while delivering on key investments to support children, families and seniors.

For the past 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being.

If you or someone you know is mentally struggling, please know that you are not alone and no-cost help is available by phone, when and if it's needed.

The House of Representative passed HJ 1 on Wednesday, which means you will get to decide if we amend the state constitution to allow no-excuse absentee voting.

Connecticut voters asked the legislature for more voting options through a constitutional amendment on early voting that they overwhelmingly approved, and we are answering the call.

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) unanimously voted to begin a search for consultants to monitor the performance of the state's two electric distribution companies - Eversource and United Illuminating. This is an important step toward eventually shifting to performance-based regulation for the companies.

With the shake-up of Silicon Valley, many communities are establishing tech hubs of their own, including Bridgeport. During the pandemic, Bridgeport became one of the fastest-growing tech hubs for venture capital investments. I am excited to see how these new tech initiatives create growth and opportunity for Bridgeport residents.

We are more than halfway through the regular session, and this is the time of year when legislative activity picks up in the Connecticut General Assembly.