Legislative & Local Updates - June 16, 2023

June 16, 2023
It's been one week since the session ended, and I've had some time to reflect on what we accomplished between January and June. For the next few weeks, I will be highlighting bills I personally worked on, or that were particularly meaningful to members of our community.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads of every kind out there...especially this one!

Aimee
 
 
Bill Highlight: SB 5

Three years ago, only a few weeks into my first term, I was contacted by a Connecticut woman who had heard I was an advocate for preventing Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence. She wanted to know if I was interested in introducing a bill that would prevent convicted DV abusers from collecting alimony from those who they had abused. My reaction was utter shock - how was this not a law already?!?!
 
Unfortunately, at that point, it was too late to introduce a new bill for that session, but I pledged to do it the very next year. And I did - it didn't get very far. 
 
This year, I was determined to see it through. I decided to get as much support for the concept as I could, right out of the gate. I asked as many legislators as I could if they would be interested in supporting this legislation -- and so many were. But the really great news was that the Judiciary Committee was already planning to make Domestic Violence a priority - and our bill concept became part of their DV bill. After passing in the Senate in May, the bill passed in the House just after midnight on June 7 - about 20 minutes into my 50th birthday - hard to imagine a better gift. 

In addition to the alimony piece, this bill also sets up an electronic monitoring system. The court may order any person who is charged with violating a restraining order or a protective order, and who has been determined to be a high-risk offender by the family violence intervention unit, to be subject to electronic monitoring designed to warn law enforcement agencies, a state-wide information collection center, and the victim when the person is within a specified distance if the court finds that such electronic monitoring is necessary to protect the victim.

A 2021 law established a grant program to give free legal assistance to indigent people applying for temporary restraining orders. The program is administered by the organization that administers the interest on lawyers’ trust accounts (IOLTA) program. By December 1, 2023, the bill requires IOLTA to submit a report to the Judiciary Committee on the potential statewide expansion of the program.

The report must include:

  • Whether there are or could be enough grant recipients to administer the program in each applicable courthouse in the state;
  • Which, if any, courthouse is not a feasible location for expansion of the program; and the level of funding needed to fund this statewide expansion.
Click Here to Read the Bill Analysis
 
End of Session Wrap-Up Event 
 
School's (Almost) Out!
The last day of school in Ridgefield is Monday (half-day) and Ridgefield seniors graduate on Wednesday. I wish everyone the best summer and I wish the seniors the best of luck as they head off to college, trade school, the military, or into the workforce. 
 
Ridgefield Firemen's Carnival
 
Foodshare Mobile Food Pantry

Every other Friday, CT Foodshare brings its mobile food pantry to Ridgefield.

Please park at St. Andrew's Church and remain in your car until your number is called.

  • Each car will receive a number as they enter.
  • Please stay in your cars until your number is called. There is no need to form a line. Volunteers will call numbers in groups of 10.  i.e. 20's, 30's, 40's, etc
  • Consumers will walk around the truck and select items they want and turn away items they don't want.
  • Please bring your own bags or cart. 
  • The distribution will run for 1 hour. 
  • Please check the CT Foodshare website for up-to-date scheduling and if there is adverse weather.
  • This distribution is open to anyone.

For additional information go to https://www.ctfoodbank.org/get-help/connecticut-food-banks-mobile-pantry-schedule/

If you are in need of assistance with feeding your beloved dog or cat, please stop by the ROAR shelter Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursday & Friday evenings, 6-8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday 12-2 p.m. (45 South St, Ridgefield).
Alternate food distributions are also available in Danbury. Please check the mobile pantry schedule at the link above.
 
Ridgefield Family Firework Celebration, July 2
Tickets are now on sale online for Ridgefield's Family Firework Celebration at Ridgefield High School on July 2! Click the graphic to purchase tickets through the Eventbrite platform or click HERE.