Cristin McCarthy Vahey

I hope your 4th of July was wonderful and that today you are staying cool and breathing well in the midst of the heat and air quality alerts. It has been a bit since you have had an e-mail from me, and I am glad to be back with the help of a new team working with me to communicate with all of you.

Today’s newsletter will provide you some updates and information, including what to do to stay safe in the heat. During the course of the summer, we will send information about bills passed during the legislative session. You can click on the links below to go directly to each section. I hope that you find these resources helpful.

Though we are not meeting in Hartford, we remain available via meetings, conversations, calls, e-mails, and informational forums. Speaking of forums, I hope you will join Rep. Keitt, Rep. Leeper and myself this Saturday to discuss any items of interest or concern.

• Extreme Heat Protocols
• Meet Your Fairfield House Delegation
• Funding for Rooster River Flood Mitigation
• Bill Signing with the Governor
• Summer Museum Pass Program
• Public Health Forums
• Ebike Incentive Program

As a result of this week’s extreme heat, the Governor has activated the Extreme Heat Protocols. Here’s what you can do to stay cool and protect yourself. https://portal.ct.gov/dph/Communications/Crisis-and-Emergency-Risk-Communication/Extreme-Heat
Please keep an eye out for vulnerable neighbors.

Please join us this Saturday morning with a chair, a beverage, and your questions and ideas. We welcome the opportunity to speak with residents about whatever concerns and ideas you would like to share with us. No RSVP needed; just come on down to the beach along with your neighbors and friends. All are welcome.

I was thrilled to join Governor Lamont at last week’s Bond Commission meeting to thank him for approving $2.5 million in funds for Rooster River flooding mitigation. Legislative leaders and our State Bond Commission supported the request, made with the guidance of Fairfield engineer Bill Hurley. These critical infrastructure funds will help to mitigate the destruction of property that occurs due to extreme weather events such as those we saw this week.

These funds, though allocated to the Town of Fairfield, will benefit both Fairfield and Bridgeport residents, as the two communities continue to work together to improve the safety and well-being of our residents. The town will work collaboratively with the state and the City of Bridgeport to assure the most effective use of the investment. It provides an opportunity to build on the work being done on the detention ponds. I look forward to working with town leaders to deploy these resources as quickly and efficiently as possible. You can read more about the funds here.

Serving my first term as Public Health Co-Chair, I was proud to work with Governor Lamont, the Office of Health Strategy, the Comptroller, the Connecticut Hospital Association, our Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers, and many other stakeholders to help pass HB 6669, An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Healthcare Costs. The bill contains many provisions which help to address prescription drug costs, hospital facility fees, the Certificate of Need process, and studies Medicaid reimbursement rates and Medicare Advantage.

The bill was combined with an Insurance Committee bill and included a provision which would outlaw anti-competitive contracting practices, all aimed at saving consumers money and increasing access to care. You can watch the bill signing ceremony, including my remarks, and learn more about the contents of the bill, here.

This program has been such a hit - I'm excited to see it returning for 2023!



CTSummer at the Museum was established in 2021 in response to the  pandemic as a way of providing children with engaging enrichment and learning experiences during the summer months. Now in its third year, it is funded through a $10 million investment in federal COVID-19 recovery funding Connecticut received from the American Rescue Plan Act.



This year, more than 120 museums statewide are participating! children ages 18 and under – plus one accompanying adult – can receive free admission to any of the participating museums, including historic house museums, historic sites, historical societies, art museums, children’s museums, science centers, special-interest museums, natural history museums, university museums, arboretums/botanical gardens, and zoos.



Saturday, July 1, 2023 - September 4, 2023

Check out the full list of participating sites here: tinyurl.com/ykwvjfvh

Last week, I participated in two public health forums that covered important topic areas: one was led by my Public Health Co-Chair, Senator Saud Anwar, on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, and the second was a statutorily required Cost Growth Benchmarking hearing led by the Office of Health Strategy. These are both critical issues for the future of healthcare, and we will remain engaged with fellow legislators, executive branch leaders, academic researchers, and industry experts to assure we are properly addressing the issues to the benefit of our residents.

You can click the photos below to watch the forums on Artificial Intelligence and the Cost Growth Benchmarking Hearing:

Just in time for your summer adventures!

Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has launched their eBike incentive program where Connecticut residents can get a $500 rebate on their purchase! 

An additional $1,000 voucher will also be available to Connecticut residents that meet any of the following criteria:

Must reside in an Environmental Justice (EJ) community or Distressed Municipality.

Participate in a state or federal income qualifying program.

Have an income less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

Find more information here: rb.gy/jcixd