3/15/21 Newsletter: IRA Bill, Stimulus Package & Vaccine Update

ARPA
March 16, 2021
It's been a busy week for us at the CGA and it's only Monday! Today we had a lengthy Finance, Revenue, and Bonding (FBR) Committee meeting where I serve as the Vice Chair. I have heard from many of you regarding what's being called the "mansion tax." I voted against having a public hearing for this bill as I do not think this the right way to move our state forward. I had some numbers pulled when I first heard about this and the reality is, it would affect more than 50% of our district and additionally, I see it as a tax on the middle class, which is not what we need as we come out of the pandemic. I appreciate all the emails I received on this topic.

I wanted to call your attention to a bill I have introduced in the FBR Committee, HB5857: An Act Phasing Out the Personal Income Tax on Certain Individual Retirement Account Income. This idea was brought to my attention by constituent Stanley Phillips who volunteers his time to help seniors with their taxes. He pointed out the error

 in previous legislation that allowed the reduction for pensions and 401Ks, but not for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs); this is a real challenge when you consider how many people convert their 401Ks to IRAs. Now that we have had a public hearing on the bill, the next step will be to hopefully get it voted out of committee. As I say with all bills, we have a long way to go until the end of session.
 
Federal Stimulus Package
Last week, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes $1.9 trillion in relief to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

To answer any questions you may have about the bill, Sen. Murphy's office has 

published a FAQ document on their website with more information about major sections of the bill including state and local aid, education funding, direct payments, and unemployment insurance. In addition, the following resources are a helpful breakdown of what is in the bill:

Notably, Connecticut will receive the following funding: 
  • State and Local Aid: $4.351 billion in aids to towns and cities. 
    • Avon Funding: $2,515,442
    • Canton Funding: $1,408,407
  • Schools: $1,140,646,000492,426,000 through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, and $371,413225,121,000 through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. This comes on top of the $745 million Connecticut received for these two programs through the end of year spending bill. 
  • Child Care: $277,000,000 to support child care providers through Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). In addition, Connecticut received nearly $67 million to support child care providers through the end of year spending package. 
  • Rental Assistance: $187,000,000 in rental assistance. This is in addition to the $237 million provided through the spending package that passed in December. 
  • LIHEAP: $166,000,000 for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
  • Direct Payments: Finally, Connecticut workers and families will also receive assistance. An estimated 1,561,605 people will get economic impact payments totaling approximately $3.9 billion. This comes on top of the $1.6 billion in economic impact payments that were provided to Connecticut in December.

I have received this data courtesy of our federal delegation. 
 
Vaccine Update 

Good news! The State announced several key updates regarding the phasing and pace of Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. 
First, the next phase of the roll out, which expands eligibility to individuals aged 45 to 54, will begin this Friday, March 19. If you are in this age category, you will be able to begin the scheduling process at 8:00 am on Friday morning.
 
The State also announced today that general availability to all individuals 16-years-of-age and older will begin ahead of schedule. Eligibility is tentatively scheduled to begin for this age group on Monday, April 5. This acceleration comes as the State was informed by the Biden administration that we should anticipate receiving a significant increase in supplies of all three federally authorized vaccines over the next several weeks.
 
It’s important to note that these dates are for appointment eligibility. They are not a guarantee of a timeline in which you will receive the vaccine.
 
Connecticut continues to rank among the top five states in the nation in the percentage of our population that has been vaccinated. Individuals who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine in Connecticut include: 
  • All individuals age 55 and older; 
  • Healthcare personnel; 
  • Medical first responders; 
  • Residents and staff of long-term care facilities; 
  • Residents and staff of select congregate settings; and 
  • PreK-12 school staff and professional childcare providers. 

All eligible individuals in Connecticut who would like to receive the vaccine must make an appointment in advance. Information on making an appointment and finding the closest available clinic can be found online at ct.gov/covidvaccine. Those without access to the internet can call the Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224. The assist line is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
 
While a large portion of eligible residents have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, there are still a number of residents that need to be vaccinated. We must have patience as we wait to roll up our sleeves to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
 
Today’s news is good sign that the end of this pandemic is closer than ever before.
 
Vaccine Resources from Gov. Lamont's Office

President Biden American Rescue Plan (ARP) Summary By Title ARP - Title-by-Title Summary.pdf (senate.gov)

 Ad-Council Vaccine Toolkits
We have created six communications toolkits to help community partners educate and provide answers to their members and stakeholders. These free, easy-to-use toolkits include messaging tips, videos, FAQs, social and digital media assets, educational events, and research that was rigorously vetted by the CDC. You can access the toolkits at the links below.

211 Transportation Resources

Transportation resources exist across the state to help individuals get to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Providers and local community services have been effectively meeting the transportation needs of their communities, ensuring that transportation is not a barrier to vaccination. If you or someone you’re assisting does not have transportation access, please utilize the resources below to get connected with transportation help. https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Transportation-Resources

V-Safe Smartphone App Ensures Safe Vaccination

V-Safe is a smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker for people who receive COVID-19 vaccines. This tool is now available in English, Spanish, simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. V-Safe uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with vaccine recipients following COVID-19 vaccination.  V-Safe also provides telephone follow-up to anyone who reports a symptom or health condition for which they seek medical attention.

Telehealth Visit Tips

Preparing for a Successful Telehealth Visit:  English  Spanish 

Upcoming Webinars 

  • FEMA Region II Webinar Series, Healthy Meal Plans for Emergencies in Spanish – Wednesday March 17,202 from 11:00 am- 12:00pm ET; Link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/mealplanspa/event/registration.html
  • Telehealth Training -- PATH Families to Families: PATH is offering Telehealth trainings for groups at various times and/or dates.  We ask that interested parties contact our Co-Director, Nanfi Lubogo at nlubogo@pathct.org.  
  • Resilience: The Biology of Stress and The Science of Hope. The Connecticut State Taskforce on ACEs & Resilience (CSTAR) is hosting a FREE virtual film screening of Resilience, the award-winning documentary, and a panel discussion with experts in trauma and resilience on Thursday, March 18 from 6:00-7:30pm.
 
National Girl Scout Day
Last Friday was National Girl Scout Day! What better way to celebrate #NationalGirlScoutDay than dropping off some boxes of everyone’s favorites to Canton Senior & Social Services?!
 
Trout Fishing Season Now Open

Trout fishing season opened early! Governor Lamont signed Executive Order No. 10B which removes prohibitions on fishing for trout, effectively advancing opening day of trout season.

Opening the fishing season early permits anglers to enjoy additional access to outdoor recreation, which has been a help to residents’ mental and physical health.

Connecticut saw a 17 percent increase in new fishing and hunting license sales last year, evidence of how residents are enjoying the state’s spectacular fisheries and natural resources as a safe respite during the pandemic.

I hope everyone can get out there and enjoy the warm weather!