Kate Farrar

Child Tax Credit and Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Last weekend, Newington experienced a heartbreaking tragedy when four people, including a Newington High School student, died in a three-vehicle vehicle crash on Willard Avenue. Jeannette Tineo, 48; her sister, Florinda Tineo, 50; Florinda's daughter, Gabriela Difo, 17, all of Newington; and Maritza Smith, 56, of New Britain, died in the crash, according to police. A fifth unnamed victim sustained injuries that were not considered life threatening.    I am devastated for the family and friends of the victims' as well as the entire Newington and New Britain communities.    The Newington Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Officer Lambros at 860-594-6229 or glambros@newingtonct.gov. Preliminary findings indicate that speed was a factor. We all have an important role to be responsible and safe on our roadways.  LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS As you may have read or seen on the news, this week the legislature passed their budget in the Appropriations Committee and Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committees. Earlier this session, the Governor proposed his budget. Now, the work begins on negotiation between the leadership of the legislature and the Governor. Stay tuned to see how it changes over the next six weeks as we run to the finish line of this session.    In the meantime, the good news is that the Appropriations Committee budget included important funding for our schools including special education dollars and the $300 million in operating surplus dollars for the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund that I'm working on this session to make the much needed investment in creating more affordable and accessible childcare.    We also passed our Finance Committee revenue bill and it includes our state’s first permanent refundable child tax credit. We know that families are struggling yet it’s our responsibility that every child in our state has an opportunity to thrive. This is my fifth legislative session working to get this proposal passed in the Finance Committee and I'm proud of this vote.  The child tax credit would provide families ($100K single filer, $160K head of household, or $200K joint filer) $150 per child for up to three kids. Plus there is a phase out for every $1,000 earned above those thresholds, households would lose 10% of the credit’s value. Although the credit is not as large as we were initially hoping for, this is an important and meaningful step for our state that supports families, creates a fairer tax code and boosts our local economies. Listen to my remarks below. Now it’s up to us to keep working hard to make sure this critical tax relief is a part of the final negotiated budget proposal.  April is Distracted Driving Awareness month and this week is National Work Zone Awareness Week which honors the workers and professionals who help keep construction zones safe, including highway crews, public works, utility companies, contractors, and law enforcement.  Motorists in Connecticut are urged to take an active role in protecting roadway workers and drivers.   As a Transportation Committee Member, I am proud to support a bill that honors fallen Connecticut heroes, strengthens traffic safety measures, enhances commercial driver education, and promotes roadway safety awareness.  House Bill 7060: An Act Concerning Transportation Worker Safety aims to honor those who lost tragically lost their lives on our highways by simply doing their jobs. Because of my leadership on our House Priority bill on childcare, I hosted a discussion with my fellow West Hartford delegation members about Early Childhood Care and Education.   We had a great group including parents, grandparents, educators, and community members. Thank you to everyone who attended to provide your feedback and expertise. Please reach out at anytime with your feedback or stories.  This week for Earth Day, we’re not just celebrating our planet - we’re taking action to protect it. From expanding clean energy to investing in climate resilience, Connecticut is committed to a sustainable future for all.  House Bill 5004 aims to protect the state's environment while providing for the development of renewable energy sources and related job sectors in a manner that reduces costs connected with such protections and development.  I look forward to voting on this bill later this session. STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES Come to the front lawn of Town Hall in West Hartford (50 S. Main Street) at 9:30 A.M. on Sunday, April 27th for Nepal Day 2025.  The history, culture, food, and dance will be celebrated! The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) is in the process of developing a Priority Pathways Plan: A Bicycle and Pedestrian Network for the greater Hartford region (spanning across 38 municipalities). A virtual public meeting will be held on April 29th at 6:30 P.M. for the community to learn about this plan and understand the benefits of developing a bicycle and pedestrian network. There will also be an opportunity for individuals to share what is important to them as we develop this network.   Click on the image below for more information on the project, and click here to register to participate.