Kate Farrar

There are still a few days left of Connecticut's Sales Tax Free Week, which ends on August 21st! This is a great opportunity to save while preparing the kids for going back to school.
 
During this one-week sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax. The exemption during Sales Tax Free Week applies to each eligible item costing under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice.

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Loss of taste or smell
• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Nausea
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Nasal congestion
• Muscle aches

The only way to know for sure if you have COVID-19 is to get tested. Click here to find a test site near you.

Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect yourself from a severe case of COVID-19, however, individuals who are immunocompromised do not always build the same level of immunity after vaccination. Recently, the governor announced Connecticut will implement the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on COVID-19 booster shots for certain individuals with moderately or severely compromised immune systems. 

Individuals with severely or moderately compromised immune systems are encouraged to receive a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 4 weeks after receiving their second dose. 

This recommendation does not apply to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Additionally, individuals should not mix and match the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Individuals who were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine should get a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Individuals should not receive more than 3 vaccine doses. 

If you're looking to get vaccinated, click here to visit Connecticut's Vaccine Portal to find a walk-up site near you.

The governor signed the 2022-23 state budget into law earlier this summer. 

The Connecticut Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable state income tax credit for low-to-moderate income working families and individuals. To qualify, filers must meet income guidelines and have an adjusted gross income that is less than:

• $51,464 ($57414 married filing jointly) with 3 or more qualifying children;
• $47,915 ($53,865 married filing jointly) with 2 qualifying children;
• $42,158 ($48,108 married filing jointly) with 1 qualifying child; or
• $15,980 ($21,920 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children.

At this new rate, a family with 2 qualifying children will receive up to $1,824 from the state, compared to $1,362 in 2020. This is an increase of $462. 

You can read the full announcement here.

The pandemic further confirmed what activists have been saying all along: inadequate assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) forced many households to simply go hungry as the funds dwindled toward the end of the month.

Starting in October, SNAP benefits will rise an average of 25 percent—a permanent change that will benefit our nation's 42 million SNAP beneficiaries. As a result, the average SNAP benefit – excluding additional funds provided as part of pandemic relief – will increase by $36.24 per person, per month, beginning October 1, 2021.

This additional assistance will help individuals and families maintain a healthy diet and keep food on the table both during and after these uncertain times.

Click here to learn more about Connecticut's SNAP program, including information on how to apply for food assistance.

Click the button below to download the English or Spanish absentee ballot application.

West Hartford Town Clerk's Office, Room 313
50 South Main Street
West Hartford, CT 06107

The application can be mailed or hand delivered to town hall by you or a family member.

For more information or other ways to donate, please email concernedparentsofcolorwh@gmail.com. 

Sincerely,

Kate Farrar
State Representative
she/her/hers