On Tuesday night, I lingered in my kids rooms long after they fell asleep, just taking in their innocence, soaking up my love for them, and relief that they were home safe. And I was just absolutely gutted for the families and loved ones of the children and teachers in Uvalde who will never again get to do this.
I am heartbroken by the horrors that occurred at Robb Elementary School and I am furious because it didn’t have to be this way.
We are so far beyond “enough”. We are in the depths of outrage that as a nation we have failed so spectacularly to take common-sense steps, that a vast majority of Americans agree on, to keep our children from being gunned down in their schools.
In 2021, we passed an expanded red flag law here in CT to keep guns out of the hands of people who have been identified as a danger to themselves or others. I was proud to vote for this because like many parents, I want to live in a world where my kids don't need to practice lockdown drills every month. Only 2 Republicans voted for this common-sense measure in the House and 0 in the Senate.
This year, we committed funding in the budget to create a Community Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Program through the Department of Public Health, support Project Longevity, and implement a Gun Tracing Task Force. This initiative directly targets communities most acutely impacted by gun violence and not a single Republican voted for it.
Our state has led the nation on passing common sense gun safety measures, such as requiring background checks for all gun purchases, banning high capacity magazines and Ghost Guns, strengthening gun storage laws, and instituting a red flag extreme risk protection law. However, the consistent inaction of Congress has allowed this carnage to continue. As your state legislator, I remain committed to enacting the most comprehensive, stringent gun control legislation in Connecticut and calling for action at the federal level.
Please join me by calling upon our lawmakers in Washington to demand bold, long-overdue action. You can text ACT to 644-33 to get involved with Everytown for Gun Safety or join Sandy Hook Promise or CT Against Gun Violence who all do this critical work of advocating for policies that will make us all safer from gun violence. We must end gun violence now and ensure our children can grow up in a world where they don’t need to fear a shooter entering their school.
| Exciting news! The Town of Fairfield and Bird have teamed up to offer a new eco-friendly transportation option for our residents. The e-scooters can be activated through Bird’s free mobile phone application and used to replace gas-powered car trips for your travels around town. I had so much fun testing out the e-scooters with fellow town officials and members of the Fairfield Police Department. Click HERE to read the press release. |
|
| Photo Credit: Michael Lauterborn, Fairfield HamletHub |
|
| Bridgeport Hospital's Physician of the Year |
|
|
| This week, Fairfield resident, Dr. Chris Winterbottom was recognized as Bridgeport Hospital's 2020 Physician of the Year for his heroic work as the Medical ICU Director. Bridgeport was hit hard in the early stages of the pandemic and has remained disproportionally affected over the past two years. Dr. Winterbottom was instrumental in transforming the hospital from one ICU to six, at the peak of the pandemic. He helped repurpose baby monitors to provide visuals in rooms that were never meant to house critically ill patients, worked to ensure that there was enough staff to care for the patients, and created negative pressure rooms where none had existed before. Dr. Winterbottom's work was literally life saving.
Thank you, Dr. Winterbottom, for your tireless work throughout this ongoing pandemic to care for those who need it the most. |
|
| While we enjoy the festivities and time with family this weekend, let us also remember the reason why we celebrate this day. We are able to enjoy these special occasions because of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Let us take a step back and reflect on how fortunate we are. Wishing you and your families peace this Memorial Day. |
|
|
