| This week, I took out my first bill on the House floor. HB 5342, An Act Concerning Membership of the Low-Income Energy Advisory Board, increases board membership to more adequately represent the communities in which they serve. I am thrilled that this bill passed unanimously in the House! |
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| Below is a list of some of the pieces of legislation that passed in the House which I am proud to support. These bills will now move to the Senate for consideration:
✅ HB 5146 makes it easier for supermarkets to provide surplus food to those in need – so that we may not only have plans in place that reduce food waste, but we find solutions that support the members of our communities.
✅HB 5420 ensures the necessary job protections for law enforcement officers to seek mental health treatment. Our men and women in uniform face increased stress, PTSD, depression, and higher rates of suicide. If an officer faces a mental health assessment and requires treatment, this bill ensures that they are able to focus on recovery and not have to worry about their job protection or potential retribution. This bill was a great bi-partisan effort and it passed unanimously.
- A Republican amendment was called on this bill "on the fly", meaning we didn't get to read the language before it was called. This amendment related to protections for police misconduct, which was completely unrelated to the underlying bill. The language of the amendment would have resulted in the bill being referred to the Judiciary committee where this specific language had already died. Had the amendment been passed, it would have gutted all of the good, bi-partisan work that went into this bill to support our law enforcement. For that reason, I voted against the amendment. If you'd like to read more about this, you can here.
✅ HB 5430, An Act Concerning Opioids, passed unanimously in the House. This bill will takes critical next steps in our ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic by expanding treatment and increasing harm reduction.
✅ HB 5414 provides legal protections for those seeking or providing abortion-related care in Connecticut and expands the types of providers eligible to provide abortion care to include advanced nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants. As other states are infringing upon an individual’s right to choose, and are attempting to impose their restrictive and punitive laws on care that takes place in states like Connecticut, it is important that we act now to expand access and protect our residents and other individuals that come here seeking reproductive health care. |
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| On Monday, I had the privilege of touring the Kennedy Center in Trumbull, an organization that provides comprehensive services and supports for children, teens, adults and seniors who have intellectual, developmental, mental health, physical, and other disabilities. The Kennedy Center serves over 900 individuals per day, helping to promote the necessary skills to live a fully integrated life.
I also got to visit their Palm & Able Thrift Shop which supports employment opportunities for individuals of all abilities and features amazing, thrifted treasures. It's a great place to shop and support!
Thank you to Rick Sebastian, Mary Pat DeCarlo and Valerie Reyher for having me. It was so wonderful to learn about the incredible services this organization provides. If you are able, I've provided a link below to donate to their mission. |
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| Today is Earth Day! This year's theme is 'Invest In Our Planet.' Addressing climate change in a meaningful way presents us with the opportunity to create, evolve, and maintain a sustainable environment, a robust economy and a higher quality of life for current and future generations. I encourage you to take part in making our community more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
I was happy to participate in Fairfield's Park & Recreation Beach Clean Up today with so many members of our community! |
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| The community mattress recycling event is happening tomorrow from 8:30am to 12:30pm at Veteran's Park. All CT residents are welcome to come donate their unwanted mattresses and box springs for free! |
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| The Sustainable Fairfield Task force has a full schedule of Earth Day events happening all weekend long. Click here to see how you can get involved.
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We are working on a number of climate-focused bills this session to further invest in our beloved environment:
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| HB 5327, An Act Concerning Energy Storage Systems And Electric Distribution System Reliability, passed 141-0 in the House last week, and it helps build out the in-state energy storage industry and encourage future investments, greatly benefitting Connecticut ratepayers. Eversource and United Illuminating will maximize the value of any completed energy storage system through its participation in wholesale electricity and capacity markets. Any net revenues from such participation will be credited to ratepayers to offset the cost of the completed system.
SB 4, An Act Concerning The Connecticut Clean Air Act, would expand the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) and make electric bikes eligible for CHEAPR rebates. It would also require state and regional organizations to mitigate the carbon emissions impact of new projects with carbon-reducing projects, including installing electric vehicle charging stations, bikeways and multi-use paths and improving public transit.
SB 10, An Act Concerning Climate Change Mitigation, cements a commitment for Connecticut to transition to a zero-carbon electricity supply by 2040. Clean, zero-carbon electricity is the future of the economy. SB10 offers planning, policies and funding foundations to achieve this goal. Additionally, it would provide businesses with needed certainty for long-term planning and help bring good-paying clean energy jobs to Connecticut.
SB 214, An Act Concerning The Sale Of Electric Vehicles In The State, allows electric vehicle manufacturers to conduct direct-to-consumer sales and bypass the antiquated requirement that auto manufacturers sell their vehicles through the franchise dealership model. |
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| Fairfield CARES Community Event |
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| On Wednesday, May 18th at 7PM, Fairfield CARES Community Coalition annual meeting will feature Marc Brackett, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of the acclaimed book "Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive.” Professor Brackett is an internationally recognized author and researcher whose RULER program is utilized in over 50% of Connecticut schools. The event will be held at the RLMS Auditorium. I hope you can join us!
Click the button below to register:
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