|
|
|
|
| Dear Neighbor,
In almost half a year, more than 200 mass shootings have occurred in the United States. It is unthinkable that our country and communities continue to mourn the loss of innocent lives - children, elderly, worshippers, shoppers at supermarkets and malls - to senseless mass shootings.
My heart goes out to the Uvalde, Texas community, families, and friends, as they mourn the tragic loss of 19 precious children and 2 adults who were heartlessly taken by gun violence. Our thoughts and prayers alone are not enough to prevent these tragedies.
Following our Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, we took steps here in Connecticut to ensure it never happened again. In recent years we implemented more gun safety reforms to reduce mass shootings (in addition to accidents and suicides in which guns are involved). These measures work, but we must demand Congress to act. We need the collective will to implement national policies – like red flag laws and expanding background checks - to protect lives and make sure these tragedies never happen again.
Yesterday, I stood with my legislative colleagues and state leaders to urge federal lawmakers to take decisive action on gun violence and protect our children, our family, our friends, and our communities. |
|
| While each mass shooting may be different, there is one thread that binds all of them together - the ease with which individuals can purchase and obtain weapons and ammunition solely meant for war as early as 18 years of age.
Please join me by calling upon our lawmakers in Washington to demand bolder gun laws NOW - which the vast majority of Americans support. |
|
| On Tuesday, I joined the governor as he signed legislation into law that will help our State Police prevent and detect hate crimes. The law codifies the State Police's Hate Crime Investigations Units, making a centralized system for investigations of hate crimes. The Hate Crime Investigative Unit will be responsible for working to prevent and detect certain crimes that are based on bigotry and bias against a race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Hate has no home in Connecticut. Additionally, the unit will compile, monitor, analyze, and share data about such crimes. This law will also broaden the reporting of bigotry or bias-motivated crimes by local law enforcement. You can read more about this law here. |
|
Applications for the Child Tax Payments that was included as part of a historic $600 million in tax cuts in our 2022 state budget will open June 1, 2022.
Any Connecticut resident who claimed at least one dependent child under the age of 18 on their 2021 federal income tax return may be eligible to receive a maximum payment of $250 per child (for up to three children) with the following income guidelines (higher incomes may be eligible for a reduced rebate): |
|
| Anyone who is interested in seeking a payment must apply to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services with applications closing on July 31, 2022 - recipients will receive funds beginning in late August. |
|
| The Department of Revenue Services is in the process of reaching out to eligible households and I encourage you to share this information with any parents that may qualify. |
|
| Due to our historic payments toward our unfunded liabilities, a record rainy day fund, and smart investments in the future of our state, the credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised Connecticut’s general obligation bond outlook from stable to positive.
This historic budget adjustment package we passed in the 2022 Legislative Session promotes financial responsibility and makes meaningful investments in our communities. Connecticut currently has a $4.8 billion budget surplus and a $3.1 billion rainy day fund.
According to the latest budget estimate from Governor Lamont's administration, our state is poised to pay down an additional $3.6 billion toward the long-standing unfunded pension liabilities. This pension payment is in addition to the $2.9 billion scheduled payment. Utilizing our budget surplus to pay down pensions puts us on a solid fiscal footing for the future and helps to save taxpayers' money. While we still have a long way to go on our legacy pension debts, these supplemental payments are expected to drive down the minimum required contributions the state must make by as much as $400 million a year, freeing up those resources for other priorities. |
|
West Hartford Social Services is accepting applications for Connecticut's Renters' Rebate program for Elderly or Disabled residents. These rebates can be up to $900 for eligible married couples or $700 for an individual. The filing period is April 1 through October 1, 2022.
If you answer YES to ALL of the following questions, you may be eligible for a rebate check:
- Are you a West Hartford resident?
- Did you pay rent in 2021?
- Are you age 65+ OR disabled?
- Is your 2021 income under $38,100 (single) or $46,400 (couple)?
- Did you receive LESS than $690 in state cash assistance in 2021?
Apply for your renters' rebate by completing this application form and returning it to West Hartford Social Services, Town of West Hartford, 50 South Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107.
The application form and copies of all the required documentation are necessary to process your Renters Rebate application. Click here for guidelines on required documentation.
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, you can call Andrea Ruggiero at 860-561-7560 or email her at andrea.ruggiero@westhartfordct.gov
To learn more about this program, visit the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management website. |
|
| The West Hartford Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, May 30. The parade will start at 10 a.m., stepping off from Farmington Avenue at the intersection of Woodrow Street. It will end at Town Hall. Lt. Gen. Edward D. Banta, a former West Hartford resident and 1982 Conard High School graduate, will be this year's Grand Marshal. After the parade, there will be a short ceremony at the Veterans Memorial around 11 a.m. to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. I hope to see you there!
Parking will be free all day at all municipal parking sites on Memorial Day. There will be a parking ban along the parade route starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. It will be lifted after the parade.
Parking will be banned on:
- Pleasant Street, west side, from Whitman to Farmington Avenue
- Farmington Avenue, both sides, from Walden to Raymond
- Main Street, both sides, from Brace to Burr
Town offices will be closed on Monday, and the library will also be closed on Sunday. For more information, please click here.
|
|
| June is designated as Pride Month to commemorate the anniversary of the 199 Stonewall Riots that helped propel the modern LGBTQ+ Liberation Movement and honor all the LGBTQ+ heroes and allies who've fought for basic human rights and those who continue the work today. Throughout the month, West Hartford Pride will be holding a series of events to celebrate the month. For more information, please click here. |
|
| As always, if I can be of assistance to you and your family, please reach out to me at 860-240-8585 or email me at Kate.Farrar@cga.ct.gov. Follow @KateforCT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Kate Farrar
State Representative
she/her/hers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
