Tammy Exum

I am constantly working to update you with important news as it develops, in addition to local and state resources.

This week's updates include:

• Back-to-School Food Drive in Avon
• Special Session Recap
• New Laws Take Effect 
• Education Funding for West Hartford, Avon
• Low-Income Discount Rate from Eversource
• Free COVID-19 Tests Available

Thank you for reading!

State Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw and I teamed up with Avon’s Town Council last weekend for a Back-to-School Food Drive for Gifts of Love CT at the Town of Avon Senior Center. It was amazing to see so much community generosity on display through every donation of canned goods, tuna fish, cereal, granola bars, canned fruit, peanut butter, pasta, soup and much more. 

People gave in abundance, which made us abundantly grateful!  

There was a special session of the Connecticut General Assembly as the House of Representatives and Senate convened last Tuesday. We confirmed Nora Dannehy to serve on the Connecticut Supreme Court and voted to move the state's presidential primary up by four weeks to the first Tuesday in April.

This decision to move the primary was made after carefully considering the benefits it would bring to Connecticut voters. By advancing the primary date, we aim to increase our influence in the national political landscape and encourage more candidates to visit us during the 2024 campaign season.  

The bipartisan support for this important bill serves as a powerful testament to our unwavering commitment to upholding democracy and ensuring that every single voice has a meaningful opportunity to be heard and valued.

As we move forward, I encourage you to stay informed about the upcoming presidential primary and actively participate in the democratic process. Your vote matters and you deserve to be heard.

During the session, I also stood with Rep. Kavros DeGraw and State Sen. Lisa Seminara as we presented an In Memoriam citation to the Indomenico family (Catherine, Eli, and Leo) to remember and reflect on Jason Indomenico’s contributions to the Avon community.

A number of new laws go into effect on Sunday, which were passed during the 2023 legislative session and address several issue areas to improve our great state.

New laws include wrong-way driving prevention with a test program on 120 highway exit ramps that are determined high risk for wrong-way drivers, gun violence prevention, and prohibiting hand-harvesting of ecologically important horseshoe crabs or their eggs from state waters.
 
Additionally, we prohibited deceptive and coercive interrogation methods, and implemented proper notification of inmates’ families and any associated victims of related crime(s) when they transfer them from one facility to another.

These are just some of the laws, click the button below for the full list.

Your calls, emails, and testimony at public hearings during this year's legislative session had a direct influence on these new laws. Thank you for your input, and please continue sharing your views and making your voice heard during our legislative process.

The Connecticut State Department of Education is awarding $3.8 million to 83 applicants representing 89 school districts to expand dual credit offerings in high schools, including $89,550 for West Hartford and $40,000 for Avon. The primary objective of the state’s Dual Credit Expansion Grant Program is to enable more high school students to earn college credits prior to graduation through partnerships formed between high schools and public and private colleges and universities.

Dual credit courses offer a rigorous alternative to traditional test-based measures (e.g. SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate) for students to demonstrate their postsecondary readiness. They have been found in research to have positive effects on students’ college access and enrollment, credit accumulation, and college degree attainment. Accumulating college credits in high school can help students get a jump start in their postsecondary program, while also saving money.

For more information on the Connecticut State Department of Education’s dual credit opportunities, visit portal.ct.gov/dualcredit.

A new Low-Income Discount Rate will be available for Eversource financial hardship customers in Connecticut beginning December 1. Depending on their household income, eligible customers will receive 10% or 50% off their electric bills per month. Verified financial hardship customers are eligible for a 10% discount on their total monthly electric bill. Customers with an annual household income at or below 160% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can qualify for the 50% discount rate. 

Customers can check if their income meets that criteria on Eversource's bill help page, or call (800) 286-2828. To verify eligibility, customers must submit receipt of a public assistance benefit for at least one household member or proof of income for all household members over 18, such as an Unemployment or Social Security benefit letter, current pay stubs or if self-employed, the most recent 1099 Form.   

Eversource customers enrolled in the Low-Income Discount Rate can still take advantage of other assistance programs like the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) or these below, including:

• The Matching Payment Program can lower the amount customers owe on energy bills. For every dollar they pay and every dollar they receive from CEAP, Eversource will subtract a dollar from the amount owed.
• The New Start Program forgives overdue balances if monthly budget payments are made on time.
• Medical Protection Plan protects from disconnections for residential customers who have a household member with a certified serious or life-threatening illness.
• Operation Fuel offers emergency energy assistance for heating expenses for qualified households. 

Eversource also encourages all customers, regardless of income, to take advantage of its other payment options and energy efficiency solutions that can help them manage their year-round energy usage.

The federal government is once again allowing every household to order COVID-19 tests for free at COVIDtests.gov. You can now place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests that will be delivered to your home to be prepared for the fall and winter seasons.

These tests will detect the currently circulating COVID-19 variants, are intended to be used through the end of 2023, and will include clear instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates.

Free at-home tests are also being distributed to schools, nursing homes, community health centers, food banks, and other locations to ensure communities have widespread access to tests.

In addition, there are other options to get tested for free, including free community-based testing sites and some pharmacies.