Eleni Kavros DeGraw

Happy National Connecticut Day! It’s a great day to reflect on all of the wonderful things about Connecticut—the people, our beautiful parks and waterways, and the rich history of our state. And now that the heat has finally broken, I hope you’ll be out enjoying all that Connecticut has to offer. 

Please help us spread the word about the COVID Essential Workers Relief Fund, details below. Also, you’ll find additional information on the new hospitality grant program to continue helping our restaurants get back on track. 

CT has also launched the reproductive rights website and hotline. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting access to safe and legal abortion. 

Wishing you a good week,

Eleni

In order to be eligible to apply, an individual must have:

• Been employed as an essential worker in Connecticut between March 10, 2020 and May 7, 2022
• Not had the option to work remotely
• Not been employed by a federal, state or municipal government agency
• Earned $149,999 or less annually

Payments will be allocated on a sliding scale based upon a worker's annual income. The deadline to apply is October 1 and the application is available here. Please note the program will formally open later this week.
 
Earlier this year, our state established another relief program for essential workers.  The Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund was created to help those who lost wages and faced out-of-pocket medical expenses and burial costs due to COVID-19. This program is still accepting applications.

Both programs will provide much needed assistance to our state's essential workers, who went above and beyond during a period of uncertainty. I am thrilled that my colleagues and I were able to include this necessary funding in the budget.

Click here to learn more about the Premium Pay Program and the Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund.

The Environmental Scorecard rates state lawmakers on environmental priorities, holding them accountable for supporting bills that take steps to protect our environment and mitigate climate change, while also looking forward to develop future priorities. 

This session, I was proud to support bold legislation like the Connecticut Clean Air Act and SB 10, which both work to cut emissions, improve air quality, and transition to a zero-carbon future. You can read the full list of bills legislators were scored on here. 

Climate change and the extreme weather events it brings impact everyone and every facet of our lives. To mitigate the most harmful effects of climate change will depend on all of us taking decisive action to protect our environment for future generations.

Starting this week, more than 1,700 eligible CT-based hospitality businesses will receive checks in the mail through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's CT Hospitality Industry Support Program. The new grant program was established in the biennium state budget passed during the 2021 legislative session allocating $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support hospitality businesses that experienced financial losses because of the pandemic. 

Businesses will receive checks directly from the state Department of Revenue Services in amounts ranging from $7,500 to $49,999. The base grant for businesses located in distressed municipalities is $15,000. Businesses DO NOT have to apply for the grant.

To receive a grant, existing businesses must meet several criteria, including a decline of 15% or more in gross receipts when comparing calendar years 2019 to 2021. Grants can be used to support payroll and benefits; employee retention; mortgage, rent, utility, and other operating expenses; existing equipment/facilities maintenance; or costs to support COVID-19 mitigation and infection prevention strategies.

These grants will help offset some of the financial challenges these businesses experienced in the face of the pandemic and stabilize them for future challenges.

You can learn more about this new grant program here.

With that in mind, Connecticut has launched a reproductive rights telephone hotline and website to provide assistance to those seeking factual information on abortion and to connect them to reliable services and resources.

Individuals seeking abortion services can call 1-866-CTCHOICE (1-866-282-4642) or visit the website by clicking the button below to find providers available in their area, community services, and other useful resources.