State Capitol Update for the Week of Decemeber 26th

December 30, 2022
Dear Friend,

This is my State Capitol update for the week of December 26th.

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

For a time of year when things are supposed to slow down, it doesn’t feel that way!  While my own schedule over the last week was light on work, it was heavy with logistics, communication, packing, travel, weather challenges, more travel, unpacking, and a lot of laundry, all of which served as bookends to a large and joyous family gathering.  My husband Tom and I both have family spread out all over the country, so getting extended family together is rare and precious, and didn’t happen at all during the pandemic. This year we managed to get a dozen of us together for Christmas, including the two newest members of the clan (who are one and three years old) whom we’d never met in person.  I hope that you were, are, or will be able to enjoy that kind of safe and happy chaos during the holidays.
 
For the state legislature, the coming week brings not only the start of a new year, but of a new legislative session.  All state legislators and statewide officials (including Governor Lamont, Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz, Attorney General Tong, Secretary of State Thomas, Treasurer Russsell, and Comptroller Scanlon) will be sworn in on January 4, after which the legislative calendar gets filled in very quickly.  This year most meetings will be hybrid (allowing both remote and in-person participation), but as a Committee Chair I plan to attend most meetings and hearings in person, so I will return to spending most of my days in Hartford once the New Year begins
 
I wish you and yours a Happy New Year! Whether you are at the end, middle, or beginning of a holiday celebration with family and friends I hope it is a joyous and healthy one filled with warmth and laughter.  See you in 2023! 
Here is a list of today's topics:
  • COVID-19 weekly update. Click here
  • New Year's Eve Safety Tips Click here.
  • The new legislative session begins next Wednesday. Click here. 
  • First Day Hike. Click here. 
  • Energy Assistance Program. Click here. 
COVID-19 update
For graphs and tables containing data on COVID-19, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”

Note that the federal government is making at home test kits available free of charge.  For more information, https://www.covid.gov/tests. 
New Year's Eve Safe Driving Tips
Compared to an average night on the weekend, there are 71% more crashes with drugs or alcohol as a contributing factor between December 31st at 6pm and January 1st at 6am. In just that 12 hour period, alcohol and drug related car crashes skyrocket. Let's plan ahead and celebrate responsibly!
A new legislative session begins on January 4, 2023

Once we ring in the new year, the Connecticut General Assembly will quickly get back into business. The 2023 legislative session is set to begin on Wednesday, January 4. Every legislative session and committee meeting will be streamed live on CT-N.

In addition to watching session and public hearings, there are numerous ways for you to stay engaged in our state's democracy. Below are just some of the resources available to you as the 2023 legislative session gets underway:
  • Visit the CGA website to view a daily schedule of events, access committee information, find your State Senator or State Representative, and more.
  • Read the Bulletin to find out when committees are meeting, how to provide public hearing testimony, and more.
  • Register for the CGA's Bill Tracking system, here, to follow any bill as it moves through the legislative process. You will receive notifications when the bill's status changes.
  • For information on how to testify on a bill that is up for a public hearing, follow this link.
  • Access the CGA's Citizen's Guide, here, for more on how you can become part of the process
  • Are you curious about how your tax dollars are spent? The State Comptroller's OpenConnecticut web portal allows residents to track state government spending in real time

Your concerns and opinions are fundamental to the  legislative process. Please continue to reach out to me to share your thoughts, ideas, and questions.

Update on Health Center in North Canaan

The new federally qualified health center planned for North Canaan is progressing!  Community Health and Wellness Center (which will run the center) has executed a construction contract and pre-construction work has begun on the project. 

Very soon the sign below will be posted on the site.   

Take a "First Day Hike" to ring in the New Year!
                               
 
                                    

“First Day Hikes” are celebrated nationally on January 1st as a way to kick-off the New Year outdoors. CT Forest & Park Association has arranged 14 events taking place across Connecticut, most of which are led by Friends Groups – amazing volunteers dedicated to supporting some of Connecticut’s most special outdoor gems. CT DEEP’s No Child Left Inside program is coordinating the statewide celebration of First Day Hikes, and has set-up a calendar listing different events taking place statewide.

Visit CT DEEP’s First Day Hike Calendar
Several of the events request that you sign-up in advance, so please register and enjoy!
Energy assistance program will provide participating households an additional $430 for home heating aid this season

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) will allow all participating households that heat with deliverable fuels such as home heating oil to receive an additional crisis assistance benefit worth $430 this winter season, above the amount they were already able to receive.
 
Last week, Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which includes an additional $1 billion for the national Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that will provide Connecticut with an estimated $20 million in additional funding for CEAP.
 
CEAP is administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) in partnership with the state’s community action agencies and is normally funded entirely through LIHEAP. In November, with federal funding anticipated to fall short of projected need, we allocated $30 million of ARPA State Recovery Funding to the program in order to help mitigate the impact of unusually high energy prices, support growth in program enrollment due to increased demand and

streamlined service delivery, and ensure low-income Connecticut residents have the assistance they need to stay warm this winter. Connecticut’s federal delegation also recognized that need and worked to ensure that additional federal funding was made available to support state residents. Under the provisions of the November law, the ARPA funding the state has committed will be expended after the federal funding is exhausted.
 
Coupled with the existing basic benefit and crisis assistance benefits, the additional $430 benefit means families heating with deliverable fuels like heating oil and propane can now access up to $2,320 per household to help pay their heating bills. Total benefits for deliverable fuel households now range from $1,110 to $2,320, up from $680 to $1,890 or by as much as 63% for certain households.
Interested households should apply online at ct.gov/heatinghelp or contact their local community action agency. Households can find their local community action agency and other services on the ct.gov/heatinghelp website.  Additional assistance is available by calling 2-1-1.
 
It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.

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