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| Dear Neighbor,
Last week, I was happy to attend the Capital Workforce Partners Summer Youth Employment Program End of Summer Recognition Event! Congratulations to the more than 1,000 youth, including some from West Hartford, who participated in this summer program to develop their skills, build community connections, and gain valuable paid work experience. This is a key investment in our state's future. You can learn more about this great program here. |
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| After a vote by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority last week, Connecticut ratepayers will see their energy bills decrease slightly starting September 1, 2022. This comes largely due to savings tied to the Millstone power purchase agreements for the first half of 2022. PURA's rate adjustments will help Eversource's residential customers save an average of $9.78 per month, and $7.72 for United Illuminating's residential customers. This is great news for Connecticut consumers, who pay some of the highest energy prices in the country. You can read more about this here.
While the legislature is not responsible for setting energy rates, we have been working to address these costs. In 2020, the Connecticut General Assembly passed the "Take Back Our Grid" Act, which aims to hold utility providers accountable to ratepayers and pushes them to improve services and storm response. The bill:
- Establishes Performance Based Ratemaking – where PURA sets standards the utilities must meet, develops metrics for determining progress, and allows the issuance of penalties if the utilities fail to meet the standard;
- Requires the utilities to provide $25 daily bill credits and $250 total claim for food and medicine, as well as reduced charges to residential customers without power lasting more than 96 hours;
- Ties the portion of executive salaries that come from ratepayers to the company's performance;
- Develops minimum staffing levels for lineman, communications personnel and others to make sure the utilities respond to storms quickly and convey timely information to their customers.
These changes fall short of the fundamental reform that Connecticut needs. It is a complex issue where there are no easy solutions. I will continue to work alongside my legislative colleagues to develop smart strategies to hold our energy companies accountable and deliver for ratepayers. |
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| In 2020, the federal government enacted a pause on student loan payments to help borrowers grapple with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments on student loans were set to commence at the end of this month, but earlier today, the president announced the pause will be extended through the end of 2022. Student loan borrowers will begin loan payments in January 2023.
To help ease the transition back to repayment and address some of the financial consequences of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education will provide targeted student debt cancellation for borrowers with loans held by the Department. Borrowers who made less than $125,000 during the pandemic and married couples who made less than $250,000 will be eligible for up to $10,000 in relief. Borrowers who received a Pell Grant will be eligible for up to $20,000 in cancellation.
This relief will help low- and middle-class families who have been burdened with the high cost of higher education. This relief will give working families more breathing room as they recover from the pandemic and make the student loan system more manageable. You can read the announcement here.
This announcement comes shortly after the U.S. Department of Education implemented temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to make it easier for federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for forgiveness. This program is open to individuals who have worked in public service (federal, state, local, tribal government, or a non-profit organization) for 10 years or more, even if not consecutively. It is easier than ever to receive that student debt forgiveness, or receive credit toward forgiveness, even if applicants have not yet served 10 years. These changes end on October 31, 2022. Normal PSLF rules will apply after that date. |
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What's changed under the limited
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver?
- You can receive credit for periods of repayment made on Direct, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), or Perkins Loans.
- Past payments under any plan count for non-consolidation loans through Oct. 31, 2022.
- Past payments made on loans before consolidation count, even if on the wrong repayment plan.
- Past payments that were made late or for less than the amount due count for non-consolidation loans through Oct. 31, 2022.
- Past payments made on loans before consolidation count, even if paid late, or for less than the amount due.
- When you apply for forgiveness and/or when you receive forgiveness, you don't need to still be employed by a qualifying employer.
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| Students at West Hartford Public Schools will head back to class on Wednesday, August 31. Does your student have everything they need to make the 2022-23 school year a success? The State Department of Education and Connecticut Department of Public Health have collaborated on the release of new guidance for the upcoming school year. The guidance, "Launching into Healthy Learning," seeks to maintain in-person learning for students and keep them healthy as much as possible this year. This includes availability of COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing as well as implementing tools for prevention. The "Launching into Healthy Learning" aims to ensure school districts have the necessary tools to minimize impacts from respiratory disease outbreaks and maximize in-person learning and child care. You can learn more about the strategy here.
In addition to protecting students' physical health, it's important that our students can discuss their mental health and social-emotional needs. Connecticut Children's has some tips for parents and guardians on talking to their kids about moving up a grade and the new school year. These tips may help parents better understand their student's learning needs and help their student who may be having anxiety around COVID-19 and going back to school. To read the tips, please click here. |
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| The Annual 2022 Park Road Parade will be on Saturday, October 1 at 10:30AM! If you want to get involved in this memorable and zany parade, the Park Road Business Association is seeking volunteers. Duties include checking in groups as they arrive for the parade, lining up participants, and guiding groups during the parade. To learn more about how you can volunteer, please click here.
Interested participants can also sign up to walk in the parade. The parade showcases everyone's favorite clubs, organizations, schools, churches, bands, neighborhood groups, sports leagues, clowns, businesses, cars, and public officials. If your group wants to be a part of the 2022 parade, click here to learn more and access the sign up form. |
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has detected Spotted Lanterfly (SLF) in our state. DEEP has declared a quarantine for the movement of any materials such as brush, trees, firewood, and pallets to prevent the spread of this highly invasive insect. The SLF feeds on about 60 types of trees and plants found in North America. In our state, about 47% of trees are considered potentially susceptible. This poses a major concern for fruit and cosmetic landscape trees and crops like grapes and hops. Here's what you can do if you spot the SLF:
- Kill the insect
- Do not attempt to move any wood or other potentially infested material from the site
- Follow the CT Agricultural Experiment Station's instructions on sending a dead specimen sample; or
- Take photos and carefully note the location to report your finding to the CT Agricultural Experiment Station at ReportSLF@ct.gov.
Click here to learn more about the SLF. |
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| 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 |
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