State Capitol Update for the Week of August 15

August 19, 2022
Dear Friend,

This is my State Capitol update for the week of August 15th.

If you prefer to watch rather than read, click on the play button to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter.

 
The past week’s events include the signing of a major piece of federal legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, which will have a major impact on Connecticut Households.  Seniors who rely on Medicare for their prescription drugs will finally see prices go down on some of the most expensive medications on the market. Families in Connecticut who rely on Access Health CT for their health care coverage will save on average $220 per month on premiums. Because of the investments in clean energy that will be made as a result of this law, our consumers will enjoy lower utility costs and cleaner air. 
 
Drought conditions persist throughout the state, with the news this week that two counties in CT have been elevated to Stage 3 drought conditions, with the rest of the state in Stage 2 (see the section below for more information).  Farms are struggling, and I have had local farmers tell me that these conditions are both the worst they have dealt with and are likely not an aberration as climate change continues to heat us up and make the weather more volatile.  Nonetheless, these farms continue to make healthy, fresh, local produce available, particularly at farmers’ markets throughout the region.  There’s a section below on programs that make local produce available as part of food assistance programs, and here’s a reminder of some farmers markets in our region:
 
  • Cornwall has two, both on Saturdays:
    • Co-op Farm Market, 9am-12:30pm, on the Village Green on Pine Street, Cornwall
    • Original Farm Market, 10am -1pm,413 Sharon Goshen Turnpike, West Cornwall
  • Goshen: Saturdays, 10am-1pm, 42 North St adjacent to Town Hall
  • Kent: Fridays, 3-6pm, Kent Land Trust Field, Route 7S, across from Kent Greenhouse
  • Norfolk: Saturdays, 10am-1pm, at 19 Maple Ave in front of Town Hall
  • Salisbury: Saturdays, 10am-1pm, at 38 Main Street

 
Finally, I have fielded a number of questions about monkeypox, and will be holding a discussion on Facebook Live with Dr. Mark Marshall of Sharon Hospital on August 22 at 12 noon.  If you have questions you’d like to send me in advance, please email me at Maria.Horn@cga.ct.gov and we’ll get to as many as we can.  The discussion will be recorded, so I’ll make sure it’s available more broadly. 

Here is a list of today's topics:
  • COVID-19 Weekly Update. Click here.
  • CT Farmers' Market Programs. Click here
  • CT Sales tax-free week of the year starts August 21. Click here
  • Eligible low-income families will receive a back-to-school COVID-19 benefit on Sunday. Click here
  • New London and Windham Counties declared State 3 drought conditions. Click here
  • CareerConnect commences 19 job training programs. Click here

  • Foundation for Community Health CEO named to new task force on Certificates of Need. Click here

  • Eversource customer webinar on help with energy bills on August 23 at 12pm. Click here
  • Charlotte Hungerford Hospital to hold Public Forum on August 31 at 5pm. Click here
  • Overdose Awareness Resource Fair and Vigil on August 31 at 6pm. Click here

  • Sharon Hospital to host community roundtable in Canaan on September 8. Click here
  • Milling and Resurfacing Project on Route 183 in Colebrook/Norfolk. Click here
  • Providing Information to Connecticut Residents. Click here
COVID-19 weekly update
For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”
 
CT Farmers' Market Programs
Over the last two years, the Connecticut legislature have expanded the state’s food assistance programs with the goal of ensuring that households of all income levels have access to nutritious, fresh, locally grown food, while at the same time supporting local farmers. Here are some Farmers' Market Programs that help Connecticut families. 

Learn more about programs, services and grant opportunities here: https://bit.ly/3QJj6c5

Connecticut’s second sales tax-free week of the year starts August 21
 
Connecticut's second Sales Tax Free Week in 2022 runs from August 21 to August 27. This is a great opportunity to take the kids back-to-school shopping or to treat yourself or your loved ones while saving money.
 
Many retailers in Connecticut offer additional discounts on clothing and footwear during Sales Tax Free Week, providing consumers with even more savings. 
 

During the one-week sales tax holiday, most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales tax. The exemption during Sales Tax Free Week applies to each eligible item costing under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer in the same transaction. The tax holiday applies to purchases made in-store, online, mail-order, and over the phone.
 
The August sales tax holiday occurs once a year as a result of legislation 
passed in 2015. However, in 2022, we passed a special act to establish a one-time tax holiday that ran from April 10 to 16 to help ease some of the financial strain on residents. The law also established CT's gas tax holiday and free bus service, which have been extended through the end of November.
 
More information about Connecticut’s Sales Tax Holiday, including a list of exempt and taxable items, is available on the 
Department of Revenue Services website.

Eligible low-income families with children will receive a back-to-school COVID-19 benefit on Sunday
                  

The Connecticut Department of Social Services this weekend will deliver a one-time, back-to-school, COVID-19 relief special benefit of $257.87 per child to more than 15,000 low-income Connecticut households on behalf of 27,000 children.

Known as the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF), this special benefit comes from a $7 million federal grant the Connecticut Department of Social Services received from the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Eligible households include those with children who received benefits through the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program during May 2022, or who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly known as food stamps) benefits and had no countable income during that same month. These PEAF benefits will be automatically sent to eligible households on Sunday, August 21, 2022. The majority of payments will be delivered to the recipients’ electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. Those who currently receive SNAP or TFA benefits in the form of direct deposit will have their PEAF benefits transferred to their bank accounts.

The Department of Social Services this week mailed letters to recipients notifying them that they will be receiving this special, one-time benefit.

Governor Lamont explained that his administration is timing the release of these special benefits to coincide with the back-to-school shopping season and the start of Connecticut’s Sales Tax Free Week, which runs from August 21 to August 27, 2022. During this one-week sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax.

These PEAF special benefits are separate from the 2022 Connecticut Child Tax Rebate, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and is providing taxpayers with a state tax rebate of up to $250 per child for a maximum of three children. Eligible taxpayers who applied for that rebate will begin receiving those payments in the coming days. The application period for that program closed at the end of July.

Inflation Reduction Act Extends Health Insurance Premium Assistance

Health insurance became more affordable for hundreds of thousands of Americans through enhanced premium tax credits created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). As historic inflation and the lingering economic impacts of COVID-19 tightened budgets, these subsidies kept coverage more affordable for about 65,000 Connecticut residents. With these subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, about 21,000 Connecticut families would have seen their premiums increase on January 1, 2023.

With the signing of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, these subsidies will be extended through 2025, enabling Connecticut residents who purchase their health insurance through Access Health CT to continue receiving premium assistance.

Residents are encouraged to shop, compare, and enroll in coverage through AccessHealthCT.com. They can also find out if they're eligible for low- or no-cost health plans through HUSKY Health and Covered CT.

Residents can receive free enrollment assistance through the following options:

  • Online by visiting www.accesshealthct.com and by using the "Live Chat" icon to connect with a representative Monday-Friday from 8AM to 3:45PM.
  • In-Person with a certified broker or enrollment specialist in their community. Click here to locate one.
  • Calling an Access Health CT customer service representative at 1-855-805-4325 Monday-Friday from 8AM to 4PM. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1-855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.

In addition to making health insurance more affordable, the Inflation Reduction Act also takes steps to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare patients, makes sweeping investments in energy security and environmental justice, and closes loopholes the wealthiest Americans and corporations have used to avoid taxes.

No one should be priced out of receiving medical care, and here in Connecticut, I will continue to fight for more affordable insurance coverage and health care for all.
 

New London and Windham Counties declared State 3 drought conditions
 

At the recommendation of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, Stage 3 drought level conditions have been declared for New London and Windham counties due to more serious conditions that are emerging in those areas. All other counties in Connecticut (Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, and Tolland) will remain in Stage 2, as declared on July 14.

 

There are five levels of declarations under the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, with Stage 1 representing below normal conditions and Stage 5 being the most extreme.

 

Stage 3 identifies a moderate drought event, potentially impacting water supplies, agriculture, or natural ecosystems. Stage 2 is a notification of an emerging drought and is intended as an awareness stage regarding the possibility of a developing drought.

 

The decision to move two counties to Stage 3 is based on an assessment of indicator data monitored by state and federal agencies, including precipitation, surface waters, groundwater, reservoirs, soil moisture, vegetation, and fire danger conditions. The most recent occasion when a Stage 3 drought condition was declared in Connecticut was in October 2020.

  

The Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup is a state function that consists of representatives from several state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Department of Public Health, Office of Policy and Management, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, with assistance from the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey. It meets as necessary to assess drought conditions and make recommendations to the governor on the state’s response.

 

To avoid further stressing water supplies and other impacts of drought, state and local governments, residents, and businesses are being asked to voluntarily take the following measures:

 

  •      Reduce, to the extent possible, the watering of lawns, recreational and athletic fields, gardens, or other landscaped areas (if watering is essential, late evening hours are best)
  •      Avoid burning in or near woodlands or brushlands
  •     Report dry fire/irrigation ponds or private wells to municipal drought liaisons or regional emergency management liaisons
  •      Postpone the planting of any new lawns or vegetation
  •      Minimize overall water use by fixing leaky plumbing and fixtures
  •      Take shorter showers
  •      Run dishwashers and clothes washing machines with full loads
  •      Shut off water while washing dishes, shaving, brushing teeth, and lathering up to wash hands, rather than running the water continuously
  •      Avoid washing vehicles or power-washing homes and other buildings
  •      Do not use water to clean sidewalks, driveways, and roads
  •      Do not use public water to fill residential swimming pools

 

Residents and businesses should also stay alert for any additional conservation requests issued by their water suppliers or municipal governments. Tips on water-saving measures can be found on the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s website and on the Connecticut Water Planning Council’s website.

 

For more information on the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup and the Connecticut Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, visit portal.ct.gov/Water/Drought/Drought-Home.

CareerConnect commences 19 job training programs

This week 19 job training programs funded by CareerConneCT, a $70 million program designed to support getting individuals in Connecticut whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19 back to work, got up and running. These statewide and regional programs will provide short-term job training through industry-recognized credentials that create pathways to employment in high-quality, in-demand careers.

 

The governor made the announcement in Groton, where he was joined by U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Congressman Joe Courtney to highlight the initiative.

 

Administered by the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, CareerConneCT is made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The programs to be launched are targeted toward populations most underrepresented in the workforce, including BIPOC, people with disabilities, the re-entry population, opportunity youth, and veterans, immigrants, and women.

 

Potential job seekers will have access to an intake portal that connects them to reskilling, upskilling, or next-skilling opportunities in manufacturing, information technology, health care, infrastructure and clean energy, and other high-demand sectors. Each program will also include supportive services to promote successful completion of training and connection to employment, including childcare, transportation, career advising, and other forms of case management. Training and supportive services will be available at no cost to eligible participants.

 

To enroll in training programs or for more information on CareerConneCT visit portal.ct.gov/careerconnect. See also List of 19 job training programs participating in CareerConneCT

To Enroll in Training Programs or to Learn More – Click HERE
Foundation for Community Health CEO named to new task force on Certificates of Need
 
Nancy Heaton, the CEO of Foundation for Community Health, has been appointed to the newly established Governor’s Certificates of Need Task Force. 
 
The establishment of the taskforce was included in the 2022 CT state budget and is directed to study and make recommendations to the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) with the goal of improving the state’s Certificate of Need (CON) process. 
 
The CON program regulates certain healthcare providers (e.g., hospitals) requiring that they seek state approval prior to making major changes. These potential changes include mergers, significantly large capital investment in new equipment or facilities, changing access to services, or discontinuing a medical service.
 
Some of the questions this 16-member taskforce has been asked to investigate include but are not limited to:

·        analyzing services and facilities and their impact on equity and underserved
          populations
·        authorizing OHS to require investments to address community needs
·        guaranteeing local community representation on hospital boards
·        setting standards to measure quality indicators after consolidations
·        enacting higher penalties for noncompliance and increasing the staff
          needed for enforcement
 
The taskforce is to make recommendations on the initiatives by January 15, 2023.
 
Click here for more information on the establishment of the taskforce and the specific questions it has been tasked to investigate.
 
Eversource customer webinar on help with energy bills on August 23 at 12pm

                      
On Tuesday, August 23 at 12pm (noon), Eversource will hold a free webinar on available financial assistance, payment plans, and energy efficiency programs to help lower your monthly energy bills year-round. 
Topics will include:

  • ✓  Managing Energy Costs
  • ✓  Protection from Service Disconnection
  • ✓  Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)
  • ✓  Matching Payment Program
  • ✓  New Start
  • ✓  Payment Plans
  • ✓  Energy Efficiency

You may register online for this free informational webinar and learn more about programs to help with your energy bill at Eversource.com/billhelp. You may also call us at 800-286-2828 for help finding the program that best suits your needs.
 
 
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital to hold Public Forum on August 31 at 5pm
 
On August 31, from 5-6pm, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) will hold Community Health Priorities, a  public forum and listening session.  At the forum, CHH will present their Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). 
 
The event will take place in person at Torrington City Hall Auditorium, 140 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790, or via zoom on the link below:
 

https://bit.ly/3T0qYY0

Meeting ID: 852 0184 4117
Passcode: 06790

Out of an abundance of caution, please be prepared to wear a mask if you choose to attend in person.
 

Overdose Awareness Resource Fair and Vigil on August 31 at 6pm
The annual Overdose Awareness Day resource fair and vigil will take place at Coe Memorial Park in Torrington on August 31 from 6-8pm. 
 
Everyone is welcome to bring a photo of  lost loved one to add to the memorial wall.

Join us as we come together to commemorate the lives of those lost to overdose. The event will offer local resources and support, followed by speakers and a candlelight vigil to share messages of remembrance, healing, and hope.

Narcan will be provided at no cost during the event by local agencies.

Resource Fair from 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Vigil portion from 7:00 - 8:00 pm

The Litchfield County Opiate Task Force will be streaming the event on their Facebook page for those who wish to attend virtually.


 
Sharon Hospital to host community roundtable in Canaan on September 8
 
Sharon Hospital will host an in-person community roundtable discussion from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 8, at The Lodge at Geer Village, 77 South Canaan Road, North Canaan, Conn. 
Community members are encouraged to join the open forum to meet the hospital’s new president, Christina McCulloch, and share feedback on the facility’s transformative plans, announced in September 2021.
The event will be held in The Lodge’s Hollenbeck Room and is limited to no more than 20 people, in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
Advance registration is required on a first-come, first-served basis. Masks are required and social distancing will be enforced. 
To register, email SharonHospital@NuvanceHealth.org or call (845) 554-1734 with your name and phone number (TTY/Accessibility: (800) 842-9710).
Community members are encouraged to visit www.nuvancehealth.org/sharonhospitaltransformation for the latest facility news, including past roundtable recordings, physician videos and local media coverage. 
 
Milling and Resurfacing Project on Route 183 in Colebrook/Norfolk
 
     
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing that a milling and resurfacing project will be performed on Route 183 in the towns of Colebrook/Norfolk, from Route 182 to the Massachusetts state line. 
 
The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 5.05 mile of Route 183 Colebrook/Norfolk. The milling of this project is scheduled to start on Monday, August 22, 2022 and be completed Thursday, August 25, 2022. The resurfacing of this project is scheduled to start on Monday, August 29, 2022 and be completed on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.
 
No work will be performed on the day before or the day after the Labor Day Holiday.

 
Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
 
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.