Eleni Kavros DeGraw

October 1 is almost upon us, which means we have quite a few new laws that were passed and will now go into effect. Included in those laws are new AI and data privacy laws focused on protecting consumers, as well as new highway and road safety laws in Connecticut.

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day, and while I hope you are all registered voters, you can always confirm your voter registration on Connecticut’s Secretary of the State website. And if you have a child turning 18 by November 3, they can also register at that same site.

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend. This week, I am attending a Women in Government Medicaid conference in Washington, D.C., listening to innovations and ideas from across the country, especially in light of the cascading changes coming to the program in January.

In the e-news last week, we mentioned back-to-school safety, but I want to highlight again that our children are in school and school buses are on the roads, so please remember to observe the speed limit in school zones and stop when a bus has its stop sign out.

Today, we celebrated Women’s Equality Day at the Capitol. Created to celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote 106 years ago. It also honors the ongoing fight for full gender equality, equal pay, and representation.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend The Council of State Governments’ Medicaid Leadership Academy.

I’m sure many of you saw the news yesterday of former Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman’s passing. Her entire career was dedicated to the betterment of people’s lives, and the loss is felt deeply. So many beautiful tributes were shared yesterday, and I hope they bring comfort to her family.

August is Black Business Month, and you can check out ShopBlackCT (created by an Avon constituent) or our link at the CTVisit website.