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Dear Neighbor,
I'm excited to announce that Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas have selected me to serve as House Chair of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
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I’m honored that Speaker Ritter and Majority Leader Rojas have trusted in me to serve as Chair. I’ve been proud to devote my career to service. Whether serving as a member of the U.S. Navy, or in my work on the New London Police Department, I understand the sense of duty and sacrifice that our veterans and active duty military experience, and have seen first-hand the struggles they face. I’m looking forward to serving in this new role, and am eager to get to work for our state’s veterans and service members.
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Special Session to Secure Continued Relief
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Last Monday, the CT General Assembly had a special session To continue our efforts in easing the burden on families, my colleagues and I today voted to extend sweeping tax relief for the state, provide additional funding for energy assistance programs, and continue premium pay for frontline workers.
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Special Session Summary:
- Gas Tax Holiday Extension: The current $0.25 gas tax holiday is extended through December 31, 2022, with the tax phasing back in at $0.05 increments from January through May 2023. The phase-in will commence on January 1st, 2023.
- Extension of Free Bus Service: Free Bus Service will continue through March 31, 2023. Federal regulations provide for a 12 month fare-free period in the absence of a public comment period. Because fares were halted in April 2022, collection must resume on April 1, 2023 to remain compliant with federal rules.
- Premium Pay Funding: Increased funding while negotiations continue regarding the income eligibility brackets. The goal is to provide the most low income applicants with the majority of the financial aid.
- Energy Assistance: Provides an ARPA allocation to DSS for LIHEAP as a contingency in the event that federal funding is insufficient to support program costs for the winter months. There is a commitment to restore the LIHEAP funding to FY ’22 levels.
- Bottle Deposit: Provides a legislative fix that clarifies that retailers’ existing inventories of beverage containers that are not labeled at $0.05 can continue to be sold after January 1, 2023 without incurring penalties.
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I had the privilege of visiting the Mitchell College campus to present the College with newly released Community Project funding of $550,000 for its Digital Innovation Hub for Educational Excellence (DIHEE).
Mitchell College President Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D., received the check on behalf of the College, joined by trustees Michael J. O’Connor and Nancy Dolan, Congressman Joe Courtney, New London Mayor Michael Passero, Mitchell College students Aizhane Glenn, Nia Gethers and Thomas Simmons, as well as other College stakeholders involved in the project.
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New London Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Debuts Young Latino Choir
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Shout it out - a group of children from our community's Salvation Army Boys and Girls club made their choral debut last week! Singing in Spanish and English, the group is a rising aimed at teaching kids the value of music and culture.
Learn more about the choir in a recent article by The Day.
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Thank you Bill Flannigan!
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Join me in sending a big thank you to Retired State Trooper Bill Flannigan for presenting a donation to the New London Police Department K9 Unit. Flannigan presented a generous donation in the amount of $10,000 from Mrs. Sorensen and her family.
The money was donated to assist the Agency with it’s Police K9 Unit. The check was presented by to Chief of Police Brian M. Wright and Mayor Michael Passero on behalf of the estate of Jean Sorensen.
Mrs. Sorensen was a huge supporter of Law Enforcement, Community and had a love for animals, her wish was to sponsor a Police K9 team.
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Ørsted and Eversource Partner with Mystic Aquarium to Study Offshore Wind & Marine Life
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Glad to see the multi-year research partnership with Mystic Aquarium come to fruition! This will comprehensively study potential effects of offshore wind turbines on marine mammals and sea turtles to help the industry better understand how we can build projects in concert with nature.
The research partnership is part of a $1.25 million grant Ørsted and Eversource awarded to Mystic Aquarium announced last year.
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Offshore wind will play an important role in meeting Connecticut's clean energy goals and in curbing the effects of climate change that are changing ocean environments and threatening marine habitats.
But, to better understand how offshore wind can be built responsibly and in concert with nature, Ørsted and Eversource are supporting research on how impacts of offshore wind on marine mammals can be minimized. The research will provide valuable data to scientists studying the impacts of the climate crisis, as well as educate the public on the solutions to these challenges.
Learn more about this study by clicking here.
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CT Tribal Leaders Announce Partnership to Plan Native American Studies Model Curriculum
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Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) announced a new partnership with Connecticut’s recognized tribal nations to create a new Native American studies model curriculum.
This partnership and model curriculum stems from recently enacted legislation requiring school districts to include Native American studies as part of the social studies curriculum in the school year commencing July 1, 2023, and each year thereafter. This model curriculum and curricular resources, once finalized, will include the study of Native American tribes in Connecticut, including Northeastern Woodland tribes.
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Each of the five recognized tribes in Connecticut has its own individual story, and this curriculum will help students become aware of them.
Staff from the CSDE Academic Office plan to release this curriculum in June 2023 and have already begun meeting with officials from Connecticut’s tribes, as well as educators and other stakeholders to develop curriculum standards to inform curriculum resources and materials for the Native American studies model curriculum. Once completed, these curriculum resources will be made available on GoOpenCT, Connecticut’s digital library of open education resources.
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First Time College Students - Apply for PACT
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It's true - first-time college students can get PACT: Pledge to Advance CT funding for Connecticut community college tuition and fees!
Those who don’t qualify for any other financial aid may still be able to qualify for PACT, so it's worth applying. To find out if you qualify, apply to one of the 12 community colleges, register for at least six credits, and fill out your FAFSA. Must be a CT resident and have a CT high school diploma or GED.
Learn more and apply at ct.edu/admission - classes start January 20.
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Coming Soon: Hearing Youth Voices
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Do you want learn how to tell your story through public testimony? Join Hearing Youth Voices for a Storytelling Workshop on tonight, December 5, 5PM-7:15PM at 230 State Street to get a step by step guide to learn how to tell your story to create real and lasting change in New London.
This is the first of 3 workshops - Spanish translation and childcare will be provided. To register, scan the QR code on the above flyer.
If you have questions or require additional information, contact info@hearingyouthvoices.com.
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DCF Newsletter Highlights Connecticut's Adoption Day
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November's Department of Children & Families "Spotlight on What's Right" newsletter from Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes highlighted Adoption Month! With 49 children achieving legal permanency during Connecticut's Adoption Day, the total number of adoptions this year is now over 440 - and approximately 1,700 in the past 4 years!
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Elias is the "why" for one family who wished to raise a child. He has some complex needs and has found a family who has fully committed to him, and all those ice cream cones he eats! As Elias banged the gavel, a forever family was formed.
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"Small Steps Open Doors," was the theme this month which placed emphasis on pursing permanent families for teenagers. Read as 13-year-old Daemion and Kimberly are now a family and how "messy love" is all part of their relationship.
The Santos family continued answering the telephone when DCF called, and on Adoption Day they completed their third adoption. "I feel so lucky they were born," stated Sandra Santos as she tells the family story.
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I encourage you to take a few moments and read about each of these family's special day!
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DHS Posts Continuation of Certain TPS Designations
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Earlier this month the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a Federal Register Notice announcing the continuation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and certain related documents for beneficiaries under the TPS designations that remain subject to the court orders in the Ramos et al. v. Nielsen and Bhattarai et al. v. Nielsen et al. lawsuits.
TPS beneficiaries under the designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal, as well as the 2011 Haiti designation and the 2013 Sudan designation will retain their TPS while the preliminary injunction in Ramos and the stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai remain in effect, provided they continue to meet all the individual requirements for TPS eligibility. The automatic extension of TPS-related documentation includes specified Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) through June 30, 2024.
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This extension ensures continued compliance with orders issued by federal district courts in the Ramos and Bhattarai lawsuits. These current beneficiaries do not need to pay a fee or file any application to maintain their TPS and have their TPS-related documentation automatically extended.
Learn more here.
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If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me at my Capitol office at 860-240-8512 or email me at Anthony.Nolan@cga.ct.gov. Don't forget to "Like" my official Facebook page and follow me on Twitter for news and legislative updates.
Sincerely,
Anthony Nolan
State Representative
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