Rebecca Martinez

Thursday, June 19 is Juneteenth. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in our country. For many years, this important holiday was primarily celebrated in the South, but was unknown to others from the rest of the country. However, thanks to great advocacy work, it is now rightfully observed throughout the country, including Connecticut. In 2022, the Connecticut General Assembly voted to make Juneteenth a state holiday.

The legislative session officially concluded last Wednesday, and we got a lot done for the people of Connecticut. I can't wait to tell you about some of the amazing bills we passed, starting with our two-year budget.

For too long, Connecticut's special education model has faced fundamental flaws that prevented all students from receiving the proper education they deserve. With our recent passage of HB 5001: An Act Concerning the Quality and Delivery of Special Education Services in Connecticut, we are taking important steps to reform this system.

This bill, which passed 148-0 in the House on a bipartisan basis, makes historic investments for students in special education, delivers better access to services, and provides cost controls and greater transparency.

Monday is Memorial Day - a day of remembering and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I hope you'll take the opportunity this long weekend to reflect on the bravery of those who gave their lives so we can live and prosper in our great nation, and to spend time connecting with your loved ones.

It is also worth reminding yourself to live a life that is meaningful and worthy of the sacrifices so many have made.

I hope you and your friends and family have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

We had an incredible turnout this week at the Plainville Senior Center, where we gathered with our amazing seniors to discuss important issues that impact their lives.

Everyone had such great questions, making for an engaging and insightful discussion! I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this incredible community and connect on issues that truly matter.

This week is National Nurses Week, and I was proud to join colleagues and advocates to discuss one of the biggest barriers to keeping our nurses safe: the Medicaid medication administration rate.

I had one main message for my fellow lawmakers this session: we need policy, not pizza parties, and we will fight as long as we need to to give our nurses the respect they deserve.

I want to give you an exciting update about some of the work I'm doing for you at the Capitol.

This week marked the first press conference for the newly formed Blue Collar Caucus! I'm honored to co-chair this caucus alongside State Representative Kara Rochelle. We are starting off with over 40 legislators who are focused on the issues that matter most to Connecticut's working- and middle-class residents, including protecting people in the workplace, tax policies that puts working people first, lowering costs, and more. We are ready to get to work!

Saturday, April 26 from 10am-2pm is DEA National RX Take Back Day. If you have unused, unwanted, and/or expired OTC and/or prescription medicine in your cabinets, now is a great time to safely dispose of them. Many police departments already have permanent medication drop boxes in their building, but DEA Take Back Day is a great day to dispose of these meds, too.