Chris Ziogas

With many families in Connecticut facing added financial strain due to rising prices, the legislature went into special session earlier this week to provide some relief. A bipartisan bill passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lamont extends the current suspension of the gasoline tax, provides additional funding for energy assistance programs, and continues premium pay for frontline workers.

An additional $1 Billion boost in federal funding to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), allowing for more households to receive the benefit in the state, has been allocated as part of an emergency supplemental aid package recently approved by Congress.

We passed an emergency-certification that will ease some of the financial burden on Connecticut residents and working families whose wallets and budgets have taken a hit due to rising gas prices and high inflation levels.

Voting is a fundamental right that ought to be fair and accessible, but Connecticut's voting laws are needlessly restrictive when it comes to voting by absentee ballot.

Since 1987, the month of March has been recognized as National Women's History Month. This offers us all the opportunity to recognize and reflect on how women in our personal lives and throughout history have impacted us individually and collectively.

The mental health and well-being of our state's youth and families has been a leading priority of mine. While we saw a rise in depression, anxiety, self-harm, and other forms of distress in young people prior to the pandemic, the increased isolation and uncertainty that has come from the past two years has exacerbated this issue. My colleagues and I have worked collaboratively on a bipartisan bill to provide additional support, resources and structural change to the children's mental health system in Connecticut.