Maria Horn

This is my State Capitol update for the week of December 2. If you would rather watch than read, check out the link at the bottom of the page.

I heard a startling statistic this morning.  In recent testing, only 14% of American students could reliably distinguish between fact and opinion.  That’s alarming, and has serious implications not just for the entire educational model, which is premised on the existence of objective fact, but our democracy and political system. Social media makes it easy to make unfounded assertions merely because they align with our own biases. Facebook has been one of the more blatant offenders: the social media organization decided that they will not fact check the accuracy of statements made in paid political ads. We need to combat the rise of misinformation using all the tools we have.  We can start by actively listening to one another, and not just dismissing facts that don’t align with our preconceptions.  As adults, modeling this behavior for our kids as they pursue their own education is critical.  So, oddly, I hope you will have several uncomfortable conversations this holiday season.  A measured conversation that challenges your worldview can have incredible benefits.  My husband and I certainly learned a thing or two from our kids, who, though fierce in their opinions, kindly refrained from dismissing us with an “Ok, boomer.” 

Universal Human Rights Month
In related, but more positive, news, December is Universal Human Rights Month.  During this month (and every month thereafter), let’s all stand up for equality, justice, and the dignity of all humans.  If we do it, others will join in:

• I will respect your rights regardless of who you are. I will uphold your rights even when I disagree with you.
• When anyone’s human rights are denied, everyone's rights are undermined, so I will stand up.
• I will raise my voice. I will take action. I will use my rights to stand up for your rights.

Click here  to learn more.  

Extending the Gratitude of Thanksgiving
And while we’re at it, let’s extend the generosity of Thanksgiving into the coming months.  It was meaningful to many of us to share what we had in order to make sure others had a warm meal at Thanksgiving, but the need continues, so let’s keep that going. Unfortunately, even in a state as wealthy as Connecticut, too many children go to bed hungry. A few statistics:

• 734,693: # of people in Connecticut who live below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level;
• 118,809: # of children in Connecticut who live in poverty
• 56,083: # of working poor who participate in food programs in Connecticut

 
We can make a dent in that, so I wanted to pass along some more information on how to help: click here for a list of the 454 places to donate food in Connecticut.
 
The Census is Hiring
Looking for a job with a flexible schedule, paying up to $25/hour?  The Census is hiring. When I was a little girl, my Aunt Sally worked for the census.  As I’ve said before (my cousins can affirm me), my Aunt Sally can chat with anyone, at length, so I have to imagine she was excellent in ensuring everyone living in her community got counted. Having an accurate count is critical to the allocations of resources our state’s citizens need. Click here for an online application.

A Few Events in the District…
There is a lot happening in the community in this shortened period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  To highlight a few:

• Happy 200^th birthday to Christ Church Episcopal in Sharon! The celebration, on a rainy November day, made clear the warmth of the community, in spiritual, aesthetic, and literal terms.  It was an honor to be with them for the occasion.
• Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and I got to spend time with first responders in Falls Village to hear the concerns affecting them, re the costs of training, the challenges for volunteer services to recruit and for members to pay the significant training costs, and the unintended effects of recent legislation imposing new training burdens on them.  Also in the audience were two AFS students from Turkey and Kazakstahn, observing up close what American Democracy looks like.

A few upcoming events in the district:

• Friday, December 6 at 6pm at the Warner Theatre: LARC (or the Litchfield ARC), dedicated to assisting people with disabilities to live their own lives in community and become competent decision-makers, is holding its fundraiser, “Night of Stars”.
• Saturday, December 7 at 12:30 in Coe Park there will be a commemoration in honor of Pearl Harbor Day.
• Sunday, December 8 at 4:30 pm: 'Democracy First!' will hold a meeting focused on healthcare at Noble Horizons in the Learning Center.
• Monday, December 9 at 7:00 pm: the Burrville Fire School in Torrington is holding Legislative Night. 
• Thursday, December 12 at 7:30 am: EdAdvance will be holding its legislative breakfast at its new headquarters in Terryville

…And in Hartford
As we get closer to the official start to session on February 5, there are increasing numbers of hearings and committee meetings in Hartford.  Yesterday, we had a joint meeting of the Appropriations and Finance Committees in which we reviewed the budget projections from last year in comparison with actual performance, and took a hard look at trends lying ahead of us.  The briefing books were thick.
 
One strong takeaway concerned the Budget Reserve Fund, more commonly known as the ”Rainy Day” Fund.  By 2017, the balance in this account had dropped to a threadbare $213 million. (I know that sounds like a lot of money, but when you run a $20 billion dollar annual budget, it’s not much of a cushion.)  In the intervening years, however, careful management, fiscal restraints, and economic growth have increased that balance to about $2.5 billion today.  Our goal, by statute, is for the balance to be 15% of the budget (about $3.0 billion), which we are on course to exceed by Fiscal Year 2021.  That’s good news, and the combination of that account balance and the fiscal discipline it took to get there has resulted in better bond ratings for the state, and reduced interest costs.
Most macroeconomic indicators suggest we are overdue for a recession. The Rainy Day Fund exists to protect us in precisely that circumstance, enabling us to avoid drastic cuts in spending or increases in taxes at a time when the economy could least afford it.  So we’re in pretty good fiscal shape, but we must vigilantly protect that fund, which is why I’m especially leery of recent proposals to raid that fund to pay for transportation infrastructure improvements.

Finally, we may be having a special session the week of December 16.  There’s been no formal notice of this, but topics may include: a transportation plan; a settlement with CT hospitals regarding the hospital tax; a long-overdue bonding package; and a resolution of an issue concerning the payment of minimum wage to tipped workers doing non-tipped work. Stay tuned!

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lrtjIUtHF8&feature=youtu.be