Anabel Figueroa

ICYMI: Below is a list of bills the House passed this week.

Connecticut voters asked the legislature for more voting options through a constitutional amendment on early voting that they overwhelmingly approved, and we are answering the call.

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) unanimously voted to begin a search for consultants to monitor the performance of the state's two electric distribution companies - Eversource and United Illuminating. This is an important step toward eventually shifting to performance-based regulation for the companies.

Free school lunch for students was an excellent service provided by the federal government during the pandemic. We saw just how big of a help it was to so many families. I understand the relief it offers and will continue using my platform to bring awareness to how essential it is for families.

We are more than halfway through the regular session, and this is the time of year when legislative activity picks up in the Connecticut General Assembly.

After weeks of holding public hearings, the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and Appropriations Committee approved their budget proposals (Appropriations handles the spending side and Finance handles the revenue side).

The next step…negotiations and compromise: Legislators will work with the Governor and his staff to craft the final budget agreement. The budget bill then goes before the House and Senate for consideration. After being passed by both chambers, the legislature’s final budget must then be signed into law by the governor before the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

On April 1, a number of resources that offered vital assistance to our most vulnerable community members came to an end or ended expanded eligibility.

We had a great conversation with the student leaders of UCONN Stamford during our Women’s History Month Roundtable.
 
It was great to connect with our students and to hear the issues that are important to them. Our government requires participation and partnership at all levels, and I am proud to have the opportunity to the concerns of our state’s next generation of leaders.
 
I would like to thank Planned Parenthood, State Representative Rachel Khanna, State Representative Hubert Delany, Ms. Petrina Bamfo, and who helped to put together our roundtable event.

A great way to protect yourself is to do additional research on anything that seems suspicious. Do not click on an email or a link to an unfamiliar website. Never give out any personal information—especially your Social Security Number—to someone claiming to represent the IRS over the phone or online. When in doubt, visit IRS.gov for additional guidance.