State Capitol Update For The Week Of December 16

December 20, 2019

This is my State Capitol update for the week of December 16. If you would rather watch than read, check out the link at the bottom of the page.

It’s very cold and icy out there, so please be careful. I grew up in the Ohio snowbelt, and, in addition to the usual ice scraper and bag of sand, my mom always kept extra boots, work gloves, a blanket, a flashlight, some durable food, and a book in her car – just in case. She liked to be prepared, and I’ve found it’s a good habit (though my kids do occasionally laugh at me for the “you never know” supplies I usually have on me). There are a lot of us in our rural area who think that way, so spread the word and make sure your neighbors and friends are prepared, too.

The low temperatures are expected to continue to the weekend, so the Governor has activated severe cold weather protocol through 9am Saturday. We urge people to go to local warming centers, or call 211 to find them. If there isn’t one near you, libraries, senior centers or other public locations are good places to stay warm and seek shelter during this severely cold weather.

Special Session
The big event this past week was a “Special Session” on December 18. The entire state legislature was called in to debate and vote on two bills that resolved simmering disputes that had created considerable uncertainty for businesses, workers, and the state.

The first was the hospital settlement, which resolved litigation brought by Connecticut hospitals against the state relating to the hospital tax and federal Medicaid reimbursements. The settlement, which had the strong support of the hospitals and relieved the state from a potentially large judgment, passed with overwhelming support. Before the settlement, the state was facing a possible $4 billion liability because of the association’s legal claims. Thankfully, the seven-year agreement that we now have will provide for Medicaid rate increases of 2 percent for inpatient services in hospitals and 2.2 percent for most other services through 2026.

The second related to the tip credit for restaurant workers. This is a very complicated area of law, but the bill we debated addressed the fact that some restaurants had relied upon misleading advice from the state Department of Labor regarding wages owed, and relieved them from facing punitive damages if they could show that good faith reliance in an action to recover lost wages. This bill also passed with strong bipartisan support.

Extended Deadline for Healthcare Enrollment
The deadline for healthcare enrollment has been extended to January 15, 2020, so if you haven’t yet signed up, there is additional time to do so. Click here to find an enrollment center near you. Check out the Access Heath CT website for any additional questions.

Sandy Hook Vigil

We honored the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre on December 14, the 7th anniversary of the tragic event which took the lives of 26 people, including 20 children between six and seven years old, and six adult staff members. There were vigils held throughout the state, including one I attended in Salisbury on the town green. This event was not just a tragedy: it, and many other acts of gun violence, are preventable, so we honor the victims by taking action, as we have done in Connecticut, and will continue to do, to reduce gun violence of all kinds.

Upcoming Events

On Saturday 12/21 and Sunday 12/22 United Way is sponsoring a Coat and Winter Apparel Drive at the Bitterman Center, 2 Daisy Hill Road, North Canaan, from 11 am to 3 pm. Members of the community will be distributing winter wear to those in need. Please take advantage of this event if you need season appropriate clothing.

Last weekend I attended a performance of Chorus Angelicus and Gaudeamus at the Salisbury Congregational Church. If you haven’t heard them before, you’re missing something profound and beautiful. They have three more performances left this Christmas season:

  • Friday, December 20 at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational Church in Litchfield
  • Saturday, December 21 at 4:00 pm at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Torrington
  • Sunday, December 22 at 3:00 pm at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford

If you are interested, click here for ticket information.

Last weekend, the art show Wonders of Winter opened at the Salisbury Association, and will run through the annual ski jumps ending on February 9. It’s an incredible show filled with wonder, beauty, humor, local artists, and the pleasures of winter in our region. It’s well worth the visit.

With the holidays just around the corner, our two college-aged kids have returned home, and our oldest will join us after she finishes work today, so our house is filling back up. We have a strong tradition of baking at Christmas, so the kitchen is a mess, but it smells delicious. We also play a lot of board games when we’re all together, so new ones are getting tested, and old ones dusted off, to see which ones we will take with us on our travels this year.

This will be my last newsletter of 2019, so I want to take this chance to wish you all a warm and happy season and start to 2020. However you celebrate, may it be filled with family, warmth, love, laughter, and an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of our region.

It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at 860-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.