State Capitol Update For The Week Of December 30

December 30, 2019

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.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had joyful and festive holidays, and stayed warm, well-fed, and safe (and off the roads) in some tricky weather conditions, including a nasty sleet storm I found myself driving through earlier this week.

New Laws in Effect in 2020

Several new laws went into effect on January 1. Here are a few I thought were worth highlighting:

  • Fewer trips to the DMV:
    • Licensed Connecticut drivers will be able to renew their licenses every 8 years instead of six. Governor Lamont believes this will help alleviate DMV congestion.
  • Expanded coverage for breast ultrasounds
    • Health insurance policies will be required to expand coverage for breast ultrasound screenings to include all women who are 40 and older, regardless of whether they have a family or personal history of breast cancer. Out-of-pocket expenses for covered ultrasounds and mammograms are also prohibited, with certain exceptions.
  • Training police to deal with autism;
    • The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s expanded its training for state and local police officers. The curriculum will now cover how to interact with youths and adults on the autism spectrum. Other Emergency Services workers, such as firefighters, will be given a communication aid that lists techniques to use to avoid miscommunication.
  • New pathways to rehabilitate abandoned and blighted properties:
    • Superior Court judges are now authorized to appoint “receivers” to restore abandoned properties in cities and towns with populations greater than 35,000. A receiver can be an entity or a person. In order for a property to be eligible, it must have been unoccupied for at least 12 months.

Click here for the complete list.

A few Upcoming Events

With the 2020 session scheduled to begin in early February, next week is filled with many caucus meetings. In addition to a House Democrats Caucus meeting, I also have Rural Caucus and Fire and EMS Caucus meetings.

Also, please note that Congresswoman Jahana Hayes’ staff will be at the Scoville Library in Salisbury on Monday January 15 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm for Casework on Your Corner (COYC).

COYC is a free, public, non-partisan service, open to all residents of Connecticut’s 5th District, regardless of documentation. If you have a question for or problem with any federal agency (e.g IRS, SSA / Medicare, or the VA) or need help with immigration issues, passports, etc., the Congresswoman’s casework staff can inquire on your behalf.

A new Podcast to try

As you know, I’m always looking for new podcasts, and heard about a new one this week in the Hartford Courant: “Happiness Lab” from Yale psychologist Laurie Santos. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet myself, but, according to the Hartford Courant, it’s “heavy on both ear candy and scientific research.” Check out the podcast website for more information, or the article in the Courant.

Let me know what you think!

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.