Eleni Kavros DeGraw

I’m thrilled we were back in session today and we will be again tomorrow. It’s the time of the year when we finally arrive at the floor debate portion for the bills that have made it out of committee and, now, the larger bodies of the House and Senate can speak for or against the legislation before voting. In other words, we are staying busy!

I hope you enjoyed the magic and the wonder of the eclipse on Monday whether you were in your own backyard or at a local watch party. While we may not have been in the path of totality, we certainly saw quite an astronomical show.

The state is reminding all drivers that when they get behind the wheel, Put the Phone Away or Pay. It’s a campaign for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April. Please be mindful, that law enforcement will be stepping up its enforcement of distracted-driving laws through April 30.

Slowly but surely, we are heading to the part of session where we will be in session more days than we are not. I think it’s the best time of session when the building is alive with energy and we are all steadily working to get bills across the finish line.

As you may know, Representative Tammy Exum, who represents around one-third of Avon and another portion of West Hartford, lost her beloved husband, Earl Exum, last October. He died from a very specific heart attack, nicknamed the “widow maker.”

We are almost halfway through this short session. What does that mean? Public hearings are coming to an end. Committee meetings will soon wrap up voting their legislation out of committee to potentially end up on the floor of the House or the Senate. And, we will be in session more frequently (though, never frequently enough for me. More bills!).

One of the challenges of any session as a legislator is keeping track of the bills you have either asked to be brought forward or are championing with colleagues at the same time that you are shepherding a committee as chair and also trying to be a good member of your other committees. These past few weeks have really illustrated that for me.

It’s Read Across America Week and I hope you’ve had time to read yourself or read to a child. I’m very grateful to the schools in Avon and Canton that invited me in to read this week. We are so lucky to have outstanding teachers, librarians and media specialists in our schools. Check out the photos in this issue.