Webinar for Small Business Owners
Next Wednesday, February 3, at 11 am, Oak Solutions, LLC and Tind-All Creative Marketing are partnering to host a webinar for small business owners. Deirdre Tindall and Kerri Anderson Ouellette will discuss tips to help navigate the pandemic!
For more information, click here. Click here to register.
How to Navigate the 2021 Virtual Session
As we all begin to navigate the upcoming virtual legislative session, I wanted to provide you with the resources to ensure your voice is heard. Though COVID-19 has closed the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building to the public, you can still testify and participate in public hearings from your home.
Below, I have outlined the steps to testify at a public hearing:
- Review the bulletin daily and check to see which committees are having public hearings.
- Use the “On-line Testimony Registration Form” link in the notice to register to testify. You can also call the number listed if you do not have access to the internet.
*Make sure you have noted the bill or resolution number(s) you plan to testify on because you will need that to complete the form.
- If you’re registering online, you’ll be taken to the Webinar registration page for the hearing at which you would like to testify. Make sure to review the details of the hearing closely to confirm that you are registering for the correct hearing.
- You will need to scroll down to find the registration form. The form requests the same information that committee staff would ask you if you were signing up to testify in-person.
- Once you submit the form, you’ll receive a pending approval notice to the email address you included in the form. Make sure to keep the information in this notice handy.
- Within 24 hours, after you have registered to testify, you will receive an email confirming that you have signed up for the hearing. If you need to cancel, there is the “cancel” link in the bottom left corner.
*Please note that there is a deadline to register to testify. You can find the exact time and date that registration closes for a particular hearing listed in the bulletin.
- On the morning of the hearing, a speaker list will be generated and posted on the committee page. Go to “Public Hearings” and click “testimony” and select the hearing date. In the right corner, there will be a document labeled “Speaker Order.” Click to open and find your placement.
- Make sure to log onto Zoom before the hearing starts and turn off camera/microphone until it is your turn. You will have to wait to speak as if you are sitting in a hearing room.
- You can monitor every public hearing this session in real-time on each committee's official Youtube channel (accessible at cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/broadcastmedia.asp under the "CGA Live Streaming Feeds" heading). Some public hearings are also broadcast live on CT-N.
You have the ability to affect change through testimony at public hearings. I hope that everyone will use the resource outlined above to share your stories. Lawmakers are looking forward to hearing your voice.
As always, if you are not interested in testifying, but you have a story to be told, please contact me so I may advocate on your behalf.
Equity Match Grant Program for Women in Business
The Equity Match Grant Program, which will be administered by the Women’s Business Development Council through its Opportunity Fund, will aid entrepreneurs in accessing the capital needed to establish banking relationships, improve credit, and overcome challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, Lt. Governor Bysiewicz and Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council, raised $525,000 in funds. The State will match the funds up to $500,000, bringing the total amount of funds available in the Equity Match Grant Program to more than $1 million.
Funds from the Equity Match Grant Program can be used to purchase critical business assets such as the personal protective equipment needed to comply with reopening guidelines, or to pivot to an online business model which will help the company increase revenue and improve its cash flow.
Grants between $2,500 and $10,00 may be given for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on the business. Applicants are required to provide a 25% match
To qualify to apply for an Equity Match Grant businesses should:
- Be a woman-owned business;
- Have prior participation in WBDC programs or services;
- Be in business with a record of sales for a minimum of one year;
- Be registered in Connecticut and in good standing with the state;
- Utilize an online or automated financial system;
- Have an established business-banking relationship.
To learn more about the Equity Match Grant Program and receive updated funder information, contact microgrants@ctwbdc.org.
Click here to apply for the Equity Match Grant Program.
Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut
The following data represents the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Connecticut, as reported to the state as of yesterday:
- First doses administered: 299,876
- Second doses administered: 64,379
- Total doses administered: 364,255
Connecticut ranks among the top three states in the nation for administering the vaccine to its residents. So far, 35 percent of the state’s population over the age of 75 has received the vaccine.
Connecticut is currently in phase 1b of its COVID-19 vaccination program. Right now under this phase, individuals over the age of 75 can receive the vaccine. Soon, the phase will expand to include individuals between the ages of 65 and 74, and individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions. Residents and staff of congregate settings and frontline essential workers will soon also become eligible during this phase.
Information on Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine.
Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities
The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities.
Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 163 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level
The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 163 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels.
The only municipalities in the state that are not in the red zone this week are Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Norfolk, Scotland, and Warren, all of which are in the gray alert level.
The color-coded zones include:
- Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
- Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
- Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
- Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population
The weekly alert map is also accompanied by a chart that provides guidance on recommended actions based on the alert levels for individual residents; institutions such as schools, houses of worship, and community organizations; and municipal leaders and local health directors.
The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.
Torrington domestic violence agency invites businesses to be 'heroes'
The Susan B. Anthony Project is a local organization which provides support to men, women and families impacted by domestic violence. They provide various services free of charge to victims and survivors, including a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, and transitional living services.
SBAP is dependent on donations and sponsorship in order to provide their important services to the community.
One way local businesses can help is by joining the HERO Program, which stands for “Helping Empower and Rebuild Others." HERO participants are able to donate money and involve their employees.
To be a HERO, businesses are asked to collect donations from employees and customers to benefit SBAP. Those gifts are then matched by the business. All donations collected support SBAP’s services for women, men, and children experiencing domestic and/or sexual violence.
This year SBAP is recognizing four local participants in the HERO Program: Energy Fitness Factory, Lily and Vine Floral Design and Wright’s Barn and Café, all in Torrington; and Litchfield Hills Fitness in Litchfield.
For more information about SBAP, visit their website.
Providing information to Connecticut residents
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.
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It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend. |
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