Melissa Osborne

As we approach the weekend, let’s take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His leadership led to the success of the civil rights movement. His actions played a pivotal role in achieving strides toward racial equality.

Dr. King continues to inspire and affect racial progress today. His work paved the way for positive change, fostering societal change that values justice, equality, and human rights.

This weekend serves as an opportunity for all of us to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy. We can recommit ourselves to unity and justice while contributing to the ongoing pursuit of civil rights.

Dr. King left the segregated south as a college student to work on a tobacco farm in Simsbury. His experience here inspired his decision to join the ministry and raise awareness to the civil rights movement. In his autobiography, King wrote "After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation." CLICK HERE to learn more.

Simsbury will come together to celebrate Dr. King's life on Monday at 2 P.M. at First Church of Christ on Hopmeadow Street. There will be a memorial tour afterward at Simsbury Free Library. All are welcome!

Operation Fuel may be able to help if you are struggling to pay utility bills.

Operation Fuel's energy assistance program opened this week for the Winter/Spring season. Applications will be accepted until March 1 unless available funds run out before that date.

Households with incomes that do not exceed 75% of the State Median Income Guidelines may qualify for assistance. These households include - but are not limited to - the elderly, disabled, working families, or individuals facing a financial crisis. 

Eligible clients may apply for energy assistance (gas, electric, oil, or other deliverable fuel) ONCE per year and receive a grant of UP TO $500.
⁠
For utility assistance (electric & gas), clients must show they made at least four payments in the past 12 months, must owe a past due amount, and provide at least four weeks of income information.

Operation Fuel is accepting applications for water and energy bill assistance for:

Electric: Eversource, United Illuminating (UI), and Norwalk Public Utilities
Gas: Eversource, UI, Yankee Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG)
Water: CT Water and The Metropolitan District (MDC)

For more information and to apply for assistance, click HERE.

As a result of fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship in 2023, I am pleased to announce that significant relief is on the way for many Connecticut taxpayers in 2024!

Three tax relief measures went into effect on January 1, including the largest income tax cut in state history, an increase in a tax credit aimed at the lowest-income workers, and an expansion of exemptions on certain pension and annuity earnings that will benefit the senior population.

Here's a closer look at the tax cuts, who specifically benefits, and how:

One million filers to benefit from income tax cuts:

The changes enacted in 2024 will see a decrease in the two lowest rates:

• The 3% rate on the first $10,000 earned by single filers and the first $20,000 by joint filers will drop to 2%.
• The 5% rate on the next $40,000 earned by single filers and the next $80,000 by joint filers will drop to 4.5%.

The relief targets middle-class tax filers and is capped at $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers. This is the first time that rates have been reduced in the state since the mid-1990s and it represents the largest income tax cut enacted in state history.

For more information, single filers click here. For joint filers, click here.

Connecticut’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income workers becomes one of the largest in the U.S.

The EITC in Connecticut is increasing from 30.5% to 40% of the federal EITC and will provide an additional $44.6 million in state tax credits to the approximately 211,000 low-income filers who receive the credit. More than 95% of filers who receive this credit are families with children.

The Connecticut EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for the lowest income working individuals and families that mirrors the federal EITC.

Expanding certain deductions for IRA distributions and pension and annuity earnings for seniors

The state budget eliminates the retirement income tax cliff by adding a phase-out for allowable pension annuity and IRA distribution deductions against the personal income tax.

Approximately 200,000 filers benefit from the currently enacted retiree exemption limits. It is estimated that with these changes, an additional 100,000 filers could benefit from the elimination of the retirement cliff via the exemption phase-out.

I would like to thank all my colleagues for working diligently during the 2023 legislative session to help provide this tax relief for many of our hardest-working state residents. The three measures will reduce tax burdens on CT taxpayers by $460 million!

Several new laws took effect January 1 addressing key issues including early voting, health and mental health, as well as online privacy and data protection.

There will also be an increase in the minimum wage effective January 1 from $15.00 to $15.69 made possible through legislation passed in 2019, which implemented five incremental increases in the minimum wage followed by future adjustments that are tied to the percentage change in the federal employment cost index.

Although extensive, below I share some highlights, and a link to the complete list of new laws. Please share and reach out to my office if you would like more detail on any of the new laws.

Your calls, emails, and testimony at public hearings during the 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.

Simsbury has a valuable resource for anyone who is struggling to pay for groceries to start the new year. Our Community & Social Services maintains a stocked food pantry of non-perishable food items as well as toiletries, household cleaning products, and paper goods.

Below you will find the food program schedule for the first half of 2024. Eligible residents are able to use the Food Pantry once a month, during our scheduled Cheese Day.

Simsbury’s Food Pantry is located at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 7 Wescott Road.

Time is running out to enroll, renew coverage, and explore the various policy options with Access Health CT (AHCT), Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment ends on January 15.

If you are interested and have questions about the program, there are several ways to receive free assistance:

• Online: Visit accesshealthct.com. You can learn more about the different plans and find free help online using the "live chat" feature.
• By phone: Call 1-855-805-4325. Help is available Monday - Friday,
  8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired may use TTY at 1- 855-789-2428 or call with a relay operator.
• Work with a Broker: To find a Certified Broker or Enrollment Specialist, visit accesshealthct.com/get-help/

If you or your family need quality, affordable healthcare please don't miss this opportunity. Click here to learn more.