Weekly News April 18-22

April 22, 2016

NEWS FOR THIS WEEK

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

On Friday, April 22, I attended the annual Reading Forum sponsored by the Connecticut Commission on Children in partnership with the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus hosted a public forum to discuss the CK3LI program, which aims to improve the reading abilities of children in kindergarten through third grade, a crucial time for developing strong literacy skills.

The CT K-3 Reading Model includes a school wide reading improvement plan, a comprehensive literacy assessment system, and high-quality reading instruction.

Currently both Norris and Langford Elementary Schools in East Hartford are participating in this initiative.

On Monday, April 18, I was also honored to be part of the citation presentation for John Mason, who received his East Hartford High School diploma decades after he left high school in his junior year to join the navy in WWII.

Under section 10-221a of the Connecticut General Statues, those who served in WWII can receive their high school diplomas by contacting the Board of Education for the school district where their high school is situated.

On Tuesday, April 19, I , along with Rep. Kelly Luxenberg (D-Manchester) welcomed Dr. Gena Glickman, President of Manchester Community College to the state capitol for Connecticut State University Day. Education has always been one of my highest priorities and I will continue to pledge my support for safe, quality public higher education in Connecticut.

On Wednesday, April 20, the Secretary of State Denise Merrill, the Co-Chair of the Internship Committee Theresa Conroy, and I were proud to honor my intern, Pierre Phillippe Leonard, for his work this legislative session. He was a tremendous asset to the team and I wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

I am also pleased to announce that several bills were passed in the House this week:

HB 5262 - This bill will establish a relief fund for wage replacements used towards firefighters who are battling work-related cancer. It is extremely important to ensure our firefighters have the proper protections for the risks they take to keep us safe. As first responders, they sacrifice their lives to save ours, and they deserve this compensation.

HB 5450 - This piece of legislation would allow the parents of children with epilepsy and other severe neurological conditions to use liquid forms of marijuana that have been found to sharply reduce seizure episodes.

HB 5356 - This bill would prohibit health care providers from charging veterans for copies of their medical records. I believe that no veteran should lose a benefit just because they can’t afford their own medical records.

All bills will now go before the Senate for a vote.

I want to remind all residents that the Connecticut Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting on April 28 about the proposed relocation of I-91 NB Interchange 29 and the widening of I-91 NB and Route15 NB to I-84 East.

An open forum for individual discussions with DOT officials will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a formal presentation at 7:00 p.m. I invite all residents who have questions and comments about these projects to attend.

If you cannot attend any of the meetings, but still wish to discuss these projects, you may contact Susan M. Libatique at (860) 594-3179 or by e-mail at susan.libatique@ct.gov.

Residents should also know that this past month showed an increase in Housing the Hartford area. Sales of single-family homes in Hartford rose 24 percent last month and Condo sales climbed 10.4 percent.To read more, click here.

For any questions or concerns you may have, please contact me via email or request a meeting to discuss any thoughts or concerns you may have.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS

THURSDAY:
The Connecticut AFL-CIO will be hosting a ceremony of remembrance for workers at the Workers Memorial Monument in Bushnell Park at 5 .m. For further information, please contact Rich Benham at (203) 415-4041 or rich@ctaflcio.org.