CURRENT NEWS

No-Excuse Absentee Voting

May 12, 2023

The House of Representatives passed HJ 1 on Wednesday, which means you will get to decide if we amend the state constitution to allow no-excuse absentee voting.

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State Capitol Update for the Week of May 8th

May 8, 2023

I spent most of the day on Sunday getting my vegetable garden up and running. I went to a couple of local garden centers and bought some new seeds, seedlings, compost, and tomato cages. As I started work in the garden itself, it struck me that it was a little like the budget and legislative process (bear with me – I dream about budget spreadsheets these days).

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State Capitol Update for the Week of May 1st

May 1, 2023

Now that May is officially here, House legislative sessions are starting to fill up the calendar. This also means that organized advocacy campaigns are becoming more frequent. In our session day last week, for example, teachers from across the state were at the capitol to make the case for several bills that affect teaching, and I got to meet with several teachers from the Northwest Corner. It will not surprise you to learn that teachers make great advocates! Special thanks to Jeanine Coleman, a retired teacher from the NW Corner who made sure we were supporting teachers in the General Assembly.

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State Capitol Update for the Week of April 24th

April 24, 2023

Last week the Finance Committee, which I co-chair, took “final action” on two big bills, one on taxes and the other on bonding, that set the parameters for how the state will raise revenue for the next two years. The Appropriations Committee produced a spending package that lays out where those funds will be spent.

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State Capitol Update for the Week of April 17th

April 17, 2023

As my kids say, it’s been a minute. This newsletter is packed with two weeks worth of news, announcements, and local events, so my apologies that it is longer than usual.

After a quiet week that included Passover and Easter, there's been a lot of news nationally. One piece that had particular resonance for state legislatures was the expulsion of two state representatives in Tennessee, who were removed from their seats for participating in a peaceful protest that disrupted the chamber's business and broke the rules of decorum.

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State Capitol Update for the Week of March 27th

March 27, 2023

This final week of the month is showcasing several kinds of March Madness. The weather this weekend came in like a lion and went out like a lamb, with snow, sleet, hail, and rain on Saturday, followed by abundant sunshine on Sunday. And there was plenty of basketball, with the UConn women sadly falling to Ohio State, while the men made it to the Final Four with a win over Gonzaga. (Several people have asked, given my Ohio upbringing, whether I was cheering for UConn or Ohio State. For the record, the answer is definitely UConn.)

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State Capitol Update for the Week of March 20th

March 20, 2023

Last week the Northwest Corner got hit hard by a winter storm that left over two feet of snow in some regions. Some towns were nearly 100% without power for periods, and many trees and limbs came down, blocking roads and emergency access. Given what could have happened, things seemed to go relatively smoothly thanks to the town road crews, utilities, and many first responders and town officials—my thanks to all of them for the hard work that kept people safe.

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