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WHAT'S OUR REP BEEN UP TO?
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| Thursday was a powerful and emotional day at the 9th annual The Arc Connecticut and legislative IDD Caucus Hearing Day! As a member of the caucus, the hearing was a reminder of the importance of our work and the impact it has on the lives of so many families in Connecticut.
Families from across our great state came together at the Capitol to share their stories. I was profoundly moved by the courage and resilience of everyone who spoke, especially my mother, Liz Bumgardner. |
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| In her testimony, my mother shared the challenges we've faced in caring for my brother Benjamin, who lives with profound autism. She highlighted the critical need for increased funding and support for the IDD community, emphasizing the urgent need for suitable housing and staffing to meet the intensive needs of individuals like Benjamin.
I am grateful for the countless individuals who have provided support for my brother at home, and instruction to him at his many schools over the years. As a State Representative, I am informed by these personal experiences, and I am committed to advocating for policies and funding that prioritize the IDD community and ensure they receive the highest standard of care.
Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and to my mother for her bravery and advocacy. Together, we can make a difference for individuals like Benjamin and their families. |
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| Governor Ned Lamont has appointed Daniel D. Tompkins to the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, representing the members of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association (UPFFA) of Connecticut and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Dan is one of our own, serving 31 years as a firefighter of Groton City, where is now captain. Dan has been President of Groton Fire Fighters IAAF Local 1964 since 2000, and District VP of Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters of CT since 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and a Groton resident. Dan comes from a lineage of firefighters where his family has contributed much to Southeastern Connecticut...devoting their lives to protecting our community. Thank you for your service, Dan! |
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| PUBLIC HEARINGS MARCH 3-8 |
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| I will be participating in, and submitting testimony on several public hearings that are very important to my district. I strongly support the following bills:
Monday: SB 277: AN ACT RESTORING SERVICE ON THE SHORE LINE EAST RAIL LINE - This bill comes out of the Transportation Committee. I first introduced HB5937 as a State Rep. in 2015. It got a public hearing but ultimately was not funded. As a member of the Groton Town Council, I advocated for and supported a study bill led by my Groton legislative partner Chris Conley, that was successfully passed back in 2021. You can find it HERE.
Now that the study is complete, our state must get serious about the commuter rail line considering the need for housing growth in our area due to the explosion of employment at Electric Boat and its supply chain. We are an employment hub with the two tribal casinos, Pfizer, and a tourism industry anchored by Mystic Aquarium, and Mystic Seaport.
Tuesday: SB 267: AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON THE HOUSING MARKET OF THE STATE - This bill comes out of the Housing Committee and would study the impact of short-term rentals on the housing market in the state. Every neighborhood in the 41st district, from Mystic to Groton Long Point, is impacted by short-term rentals. It compounds the housing affordability crisis in supply we have in Southeastern Connecticut at a time when the cost of housing has increased due to the demand. I submitted a bill this year that would create a community impact fee, a 5 % tax on short-term rentals, that would be levied by the state and then remitted back to the municipality where the short-term rental is located. The second part of the bill was to create a registration system operated by the Department of Revenue Services.
Wednesday: SB36: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE CHILD TAX CREDIT - From the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, this bill would support a refundable child tax credit of up to three children, $600 per child. We learned during the pandemic that at the federal level when they had the federal child tax credit, it was the single greatest policy tool to reduce childhood poverty this country has ever seen. There is a coalition of people that are fighting for it.
Thursday: SB 299: AN ACT CONCERNING DATA CENTERS - When I was on the town council, we voted to reject a host agreement proposed by a data center developer due to the significant concerns brought forth by the community, especially as it related to environmental, public health, and quality of life issues. The Groton Planning and Zoning Commission shortly thereafter passed strong zoning regulations concerning data centers. If you care about this issue, you will have the opportunity to opine on it at this hearing. This one comes from the Energy and Technology Committee.
Friday: HB 5004: AN ACT CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES - This is the omnibus, environmental bill put forth by the environment committee. I was honored to work with State Representative Christine Palm and many 41st district constituents in helping draft the bill and will be spending a lot of time getting this bill to a vote and final passage. As a representative of a district that will experience 40 inches in sea level rise by 2050, this is non-negotiable. |
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| I want to encourage you to get involved. |
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| JOIN ME FOR COFFEE AT THE DITTY BAG ON SATURDAY |
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| I hope you can join my Coffee Hour on Saturday, March 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ditty Bag, 7 Roosevelt Ave., in Mystic. I will be offering legislative updates so far from the 2024 session and will be more than happy to hear from you on what more I could be doing in Hartford for the constituents of the 41st district. I hope to see you there! |
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I am thrilled to share exciting news about my commitment to promoting the health and well-being of our community’s families and children. In response to the vital need for improved childhood nutrition, we are working on crafting comprehensive legislation that ensures mothers and children who are eligible for federal benefits are enrolled in these programs with ease and confidence.
WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, Children) enrollment in Connecticut is among the lowest in the country at 46%. Not maximizing participation in this program is resulting in worse outcomes for the health and nutrition of young children.
Child nutrition is important for many reasons including:
- Strengthening the child's immune system
- Providing essential vitamins and minerals
- Enhancing brain development
- Encouraging physical growth
- Setting the stage for healthy eating habits for a lifetime
Healthy nutrition is also tied to preventing chronic disease, improving mental health, and helping build strong bones and teeth. |
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| As this priority bill moves through the legislative process, I urge you to show your support as we move forward. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our youngest community members. |
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| NOT SO SURPRISING TAX INCIDENCE STUDY RESULTS |
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| I stood alongside my fellow members of the Tax Equity Caucus this week to address the latest Tax Incidence Study for Connecticut. It revealed some startling, albeit not entirely unexpected, figures about our tax structure. The data indicates a harsh reality: Connecticut places a disproportionate burden on the middle class and working poor, rather than on the wealthy.
Half of Connecticut's tax filers are paying over 20% of their income in state and local taxes, while the top 1% pays less than 10%. This disparity is unjust. It is incumbent upon the legislature to rectify this imbalance and create a fairer tax system in Connecticut. Please click below to watch and hear my comments. |
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| THE GOVERNMENT PROTECTING TAXPAYERS |
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| I wanted to share a recent email with you regarding the CT Supreme Court's decision to uphold PURA's authority to protect consumers in rate cases because it is a clear example of the government working to protect ratepayers!
I applaud the actions of the Supreme Court, PURA, and the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) for intervening to support PURA's decision to shield electric ratepayers from significant increases.
The email below was sent February 23rd, 2024:
NEW BRITAIN, CT – Today, Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman applauded the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the Superior Court’s prior decision in GennConn Energy, LLC vs. PURA, in which the Authority disallowed a total of $4.135 million of GenConn’s requested revenue increase. When the company sought judicial review of PURA’s decision, the OCC intervened in March of 2021 to support the Authority’s decision, as it shields electric ratepayers from significant rate increases that would have unjustly funded the company’s capital costs. The Superior Court ruled in favor of PURA’s decision in January of 2022, which the company’s appealed. Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court affirms the lower court’s findings and adopts several of the arguments OCC made on behalf of consumers.
“Connecticut law clearly states that electric rates must not be higher than is just and reasonable, cannot be more than sufficient to balance a company’s costs and profits with the public interest, and must reflect prudent and efficient management by the company,” said Consumer Counsel Coleman. “Today’s decision applies those important legal standards and protects PURA’s ability to appropriately align a company’s costs with the public interest. PURA must be able to consider the interests of ratepayers in their decision making, and, when it determines that a company is collecting more money than it needs from customers, PURA must adjust the costs customers are expected to pay. At a time when energy costs are at the forefront of the minds of all consumers, today’s decision affirming PURA’s authority to shield customers from excess recoveries is incredibly important.”
The Supreme Court decision affirmed the following, which the OCC argued in support of during the proceeding:
- PURA has the authority to analyze each rate application on its own merits, and is not strictly limited to past practices or decisions;
- PURA can analyze whether costs are not only prudently incurred, but also whether it is appropriate for a company to collect such costs from ratepayers;
- PURA’s disallowance of particular costs does not constitute an illegal deprivation of a company’s profits. PURA has the authority to disallow the recovery of inappropriate costs – thereby reducing a company’s overall allowed revenue - so long as PURA allows companies to earn a reasonable return on the investments that adhere to legal parameters;
- The Court explicitly agreed with OCC’s argument that PURA must retain the “flexibility” necessary to resolve issues where they arise, and must be allowed to evaluate rate applications “in light of the entire universe of facts and circumstances available.”
More information and the Supreme Court decision can be found here, and OCC’s supporting brief can be found here. |
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| ALLIANCE FOR THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED |
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| Please join fellow community members along the Mystic River Watershed to help keep it safe. Click on the image for more information and to get involved, especially our young people! |
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| Please click HERE.
Upcoming events:
Wednesday, March 6:
The Cost of Coastal Flooding, at the LaGrua Center, 5 p.m.
Mystic River Historical Society is hosting "The Impact of African-American and Indigenous Residents on Mystic," a presentation by Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation member Lawrence E. Wilson III, at the Mystic Congregational Church, 7:30 p.m.
Yale Climate Change and Health Symposium 12-1:30, online
Thursday, March 7:
Shain Library Chu Room, a lecture on "Collaboration with Non-Human Species." at Connecticut College, 4:30 p.m.
March 7, Youth Climate Summit and also Seagrant's Funding Workshop! |
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| GROTON HIRING FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT |
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| The City of Groton Parks & Recreation Department is hiring for seasonal positions for the Summer of 2024. Click on the image below for more details, including available positions, pay, and a seasonal employment application. |
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| DECLARING FREEDOM CONFERENCE MARCH 15-16 |
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| I hope you can attend the Declaring Freedom Conference at Central Connecticut State on March 15-16.
The conference will launch a robust consideration of what freedom means and how we can commemorate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence while considering the many troubling realities that have accompanied the United States' development as a nation.
Friday, March 15 will be the introduction of the mission and vision of Connecticut's 250th Commission to a broader audience and engaging attendees in meaningful conversation about the four America 250 | CT themes. Organized by CT Humanities and the America 250 | CT Commission.
The agenda includes Governor Ned Lamont's Keynote and Commission Introduction, by the Honorable Denise Merrill, Dr. Matt Warshauer, and Cyndi Tolosa.
Panels will be moderated by Kolton Harris, CT Office of the Arts, Frank Mitchell, Ph.D, Merle MCGee, and CT State Historian Andy Horowitz. To register for the event, please click HERE.
On Saturday, March 16th, historians, museums, and other history organizations will gather to learn from one another, share ideas, and make plans for the semi-quincentennial. This day will include presentations, panels, and ample opportunities for share-outs and networking around the 250th planning. Organized by the Association for the Study of Connecticut History with the Connecticut League of Museums. To register, please click HERE. |
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| EXPANDING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT |
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This initiative, which has already begun, uses police data to guide additional patrols and enforcement saturation along highways where crashes and fatalities have become more common. The hope is they can stop drivers who should not be on the road before they get on the road going the wrong way.
In addition to patrolling thousands of miles of roads in our state, the Connecticut State Police also regularly plan initiatives to combat distracted driving, aggressive driving, and operating under the influence. |
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| READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY IS SATURDAY |
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| Join the nationwide celebration of literacy and grab a book to share with a young reader. Let's make reading a lifelong adventure! |
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| MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH |
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| “Here's to strong women. May we know them, may we raise them. May we be them.” - Ada Lovelace |
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| COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES |
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| Do not hesitate to contact me with any thoughts or concerns you may have at Aundre.Bumgardner@cga.ct.gov or 1-800-842-8267.
Sincerely,
Aundré Bumgardner
State Representative |
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