Maria Horn

   
 
While it is hard to transition from that situation, I want to draw your attention to some recent and upcoming events.  I’ve done a total of three forums on FB Live recently on voting: on how to apply for an absentee ballot, with Sharon Town Clerk Linda Amerighi and Kent Town Clerk Darlene Brady (on September 12); on what that absentee ballot will include and how to make sure it’s counted, with Norfolk Town Clerk Linda Perkins and Washington Town Clerk Sheila Anson (on October 12); and last night (October 13) with State Representative Stephanie Thomas, who is a candidate for Secretary of State, on this year’s ballot question re whether we should allow early voting in Connecticut.  I hope they shed some light on the process and what to expect when you finally see a ballot.
 
The Attorney General held a meeting with the Reproductive Rights Caucus where we focused on what we all need to do to ensure that the legal access we provide in Connecticut to full reproductive healthcare, including both abortion services and maternity care, translates into actual access for all who need that care.  I look forward to more work ahead on those issues.

This weekend includes several healthcare-related events:

• Rally for reproductive rights in Kent on Saturday, 10/15 at 10 am;
• Cornwall Ambulance’s 90th Anniversary Open House on Sunday, 10/16, at noon;
• Rally organized by Save Sharon Hospital on Sunday, 10/16, at 2 pm;

And on Tuesday, October 18, the Office of Health Strategy will hold its public hearing on Nuvance Health’s application to shut labor and delivery at Sharon Hospital.  The hearing will be conducted via Zoom beginning at 10 am, with public testimony scheduled to start at 3 pm.  Click here to access the Zoom meeting.

• Written testimony may be submitted via email to ohs@ct.gov by Monday, Oct 17. Please reference Docket # 22-32511-CON.
• Oral testimony: On Tuesday, October 18, sign up via the same Zoom link starting at 2 pm. Public testimony starts at 3 pm.

Finally, with sadness for myself and my constituents, I will have to say goodbye to my wonderful aide Noemi Hammonds, whose last day in that position will be Monday, October 17.  In recognition of her skill and dedication, she is moving on to another position in state government, where I know she will do an exceptional job, but I will miss her greatly.  It is rare for a week to go by without a constituent telling me how wonderful Noemi is and how she has helped solve many a complex and stressful situation as my aide for the last three and a half years, all while also working for three other state representatives: a daunting job.  I know you will all join me in wishing her well in her new position, though it is hard to see her go!

• COVID-19 Weekly Update. Click here.
• Connecticut receives $11 million for Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program. Click Here
• Bonus Payment for Childcare Workers. Click here
• Litchfield County Affordability Summit. Click Here
• Office of Health Strategy conducting surveys on Telehealth . Click Here
• Goshen’s Halloween party is on October 28. Click here

Connecticut receives $11 million for Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance Program   Connecticut has been allocated an additional $11 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to support UniteCT, the state’s premier program providing rent and utility assistance for households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds supplement more than $400 million previously allocated for the program, primarily from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act.   UniteCT was created in early 2021 in response to the initial outbreak of the pandemic and is administered by the Connecticut Department of Housing. It provides qualified households with payments for up to 12 months of rental and electric arrearage assistance. Payments are typically made by the state directly to landlords and utility companies on behalf of tenants.   To date, the program has distributed $322 million to more than 11,000 landlords on behalf of 50,000 households. The average rent and utility assistance per household so far is $8,366 and $1,484, respectively.   This additional $11 million for Connecticut is the result of a federal process to reallocate funding from states and cities that have not obligated their initial grants to states and towns that got money out the door more quickly. The Connecticut Department of Housing will use this additional $11 million to assist those currently in eviction and to prevent households from going into eviction. The department intends to leverage these funds with the $1.5 million that it received in the recently adopted state budget for its new Rent Bank program.   To learn more about UniteCT, visit the Connecticut Department of Housing’s website at ct.gov/doh.