Cristin McCarthy Vahey

Dear Neighbors,
 

For all who are celebrating Easter this weekend, I wish you a blessed holiday with family and friends.

As the legislative session continues, only the Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary Committees and Select Committee on Special Education are still hearing and voting on bills. The “money committees,” as we refer to them, will vote on the legislature’s proposed budgets next week. The legislature and the Governor will then continue negotiations before a final budget vote, expected close to the end of session on June 4^th. Due to the ongoing changes at the federal level, leaders predict that we will be back in special session this summer or fall to address additional federal actions.

Next week, one of the House priority bills on Special Education, HB 7277 will be heard by the Select Committee on Special Education. Aimed at helping to address rising special education costs to districts, the bill seeks additional funds to support district expenses. If you would like to weigh in and testify on this bill, you can sign up here . All other committees will hold votes on bills that are referred to them from other committees.

Two weeks ago, I shared information about $150 million in cuts to federal Public Health grant dollars to our state. Though the Attorney General and his colleagues around the country were successful in getting a pause to any permanent cuts, the funds effectively remain frozen, as the state waits to learn if there is permanent restoration. If the state and its contractors, mostly local public health districts, were to expend the funds, and the federal government wins the court case, the state would have to pay back any funds expended. This funding uncertainty means the work remains frozen.

Over the past weeks, I have:

• Joined colleagues, constituents and advocates on a zoom with the Connecticut Nurses’ Association to hear from their stories about workplace violence
• Joined the monthly Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board meeting
• Toured the Southbury Training School and Waltersville School’s Effective School Solutions for Bridgeport students
• Met with students from Wooster School visiting the Capitol
• Joined our Bridgeport Delegation meetings with the Governor Lamont, Speaker Ritter and State Department of Education Commissioner Russell-Tucker
• Spoke at a press conference for World Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Day
• Joined Fairfield advocates for Sierra Club Zero Waste Lobby Day
• Participated in Millbank State Leadership Briefing on Federal Funding Cuts to State and Local Public Health
• Trinity College Intern Dinner
• Joined our Transportation Bonding Committee
• Attended the Alcohol and Drug Policy Council meeting to learn about alcohol and cannabis enforcement
• Testified in the Finance Committee to help prevent youth tobacco/nicotine use.

As Spring Break is ending for many and others head to see family to celebrate Easter, this is a good time to highlight April as Distracted Driver Awareness Month. Here in Connecticut, 314 drivers were killed on our roadways in 2024. Many were due to impairment, alcohol and a mix of other substances.

This year, the legislature is again considering SB 1376 which would lower the allowable blood alcohol content to .05 and increase opportunities for identifying impairment through blood tests. I’m also proud to support HB 7060, which will support transportation worker safety.

An ongoing initiative, Connecticut’s Vision Zero, aims to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.

The state is working across agencies to make roads safer for everyone—whether you're walking, biking, driving, or using public transit.

Both Fairfield and Bridgeport have undertaken complete streets work to implement safety measures. The Vision Zero work includes:

• Lowering speed limits in high-risk areas to reduce the chance and severity of crashes.
• Improving crosswalks, sidewalks, and bike lanes to make streets safer for everyone.
• Adding traffic calming measures like speed bumps and roundabouts to discourage speeding.
• Promoting seatbelt use and sober driving through education and awareness campaigns.
• Using crash data to identify dangerous areas and take targeted safety actions.

When it comes to distracted driving, AAA offers a number of tips.

As always, please feel free to reach out directly with your ideas, questions, or concerns. You can reach me by phone at (860) 240-8585 or (203) 522-3037.

Take care,

Cristin McCarthy Vahey