Tammy Exum

For more information about the state's response efforts visit ct.gov/coronavirus. To receive text message notifications, sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system. To subscribe, text "COVIDCT" to 888-777.

H.B. 6467, AN ACT CONCERNING THE SMALL BUSINESS EXPRESS PROGRAM.
Local businesses are at the heart of every community in Connecticut, but sadly over the past year, they have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. While a number of great loan and grant programs have been established and implemented to provide aid, many small businesses missed out due to the sheer demand for assistance. In an effort to not only aid small businesses, but also bolster our local economies, my colleagues and I made it a priority to expand and incentivize the state's Small Business Express (SBE) Program by passing HB 6467.

This bill implements extensions to SBE to support small businesses, distressed municipalities, and opportunity zones in Connecticut. Funding from this program will help small businesses in our district to create additional jobs, acquire assets, and expand business operations.

CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.

H.B. 6688, AN ACT CONCERNING A HIGHWAY USE FEE.
Trucks cause extreme wear and tear to our roads, and with no means to recoup the cost to fix those roads taxpayers are all left to shoulder the burden. HB 6688 will allow for a user fee only on large trucks so that trucking companies pay their fair share to repair and maintain our roads.  
 
CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.
 
H.B. 6687, AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITHOUT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.
Access to healthcare is a right that should not be defined by immigration status. HB 6687 will expand HUSKY healthcare coverage, regardless of immigration status, to children 8 and under, pregnant women, and women who have just given birth.

CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.

S.B. 1004,  AN ACT CONCERNING DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CHILDREN, STEPCHILDREN AND OTHER DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
Accessible dental and vision care is an essential component of preventing chronic conditions – but for young adults still just starting their careers and no longer able to retain coverage through a parents' insurance policy, this can be a costly measure. Just passed, SB 1004 will allow children, stepchildren, and other dependent children to retain dental and vision care under their parents' policies until age 26 or until they are able to access their own coverage through an employer.

CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.
 
S.B. 837, AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF PERFLUOROALKYL OR POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN CLASS B FIREFIGHTING FOAM.
The continued use of forever chemicals like PFAS, which is often found in firefighting foam, pose a significant environmental hazard. Most recently, in June 2019, the state saw a spill of PFAS containing foam threatening the aquatic habitats in the Farmington River. To better support and protect our environment, SB 837 will begin take critical steps to reduce our use of PFAS.

CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.
 
S.B. 363, AN ACT CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
SB 363 will expand the Attorney General's authority to protect the civil rights of Connecticut residents by allowing an investigation into allegations that civil rights are being violated and initiate legal proceedings in response. 

CLICK HERE for more information about this bill.

I am also proud to announce that Governor Lamont on Wednesday signed H.B. 6121, AN ACT CONCERNING A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES into law. This is legislation which I introduced at the start of this session, and it passed the House in April.

I have seen what it is like for someone with a disability to try to find employment. The difficulties these individuals face restrict their lives, their careers, and our economy. This pipeline, which would make it much easier for people with disabilities to be included in the workforce, makes sense not only from an equity standpoint but also from an economic standpoint, and I am thrilled that it has now become law.

A special thank you to State Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw for being my partner on this bill!

For additional information on the passage of this bill and what it does, click the links below.

Happy Juneteenth! On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a bill that made June 19th a federal holiday.

After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, enslaved people in Confederate states were not free. The Union would have to win the Civil War to enforce the proclamation. When the Confederate Army surrendered, Texas continued enslavement until General Gordon Granger entered Texas with the Union Army, and on June 19, 1865 read General Order No. 3 to the people of Galveston, TX, informing the enslaved people they were free. The celebration that followed is remembered for generations and reimagined annually.

In our area, there will be numerous in-person and virtual ceremonies and events to honor the day. At 10:30 a.m., a ceremony will be held at the Old Center Cemetery in West Hartford by the Witness Stones Project to install stone markers honoring the lives of enslaved individuals who lived in the area.

In addition, a community picnic will be held outside the West Hartford Town Hall at noon which will feature games, music (including a traditional African drumming performance), and a special lunch. There will also be music and special performances at Blue Black Square later in the day.

I am also extremely honored and humbled to have been portrayed in a mural (which you can see above) honoring local Black leaders, including Gertrude Blanks, who was a staple at the Hartford Public Library for many years, and Judy Casperson, who served as the first Black member of the West Hartford Town Council. The mural is part of a series of murals made across the state which will be officially unveiled on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. 

I encourage you to participate in these events in honor of this important day in our country's history!

For a list of Juneteenth celebrations across the state, click HERE. For more information on the Witness Stones Project, click HERE. 

Farmington: Farmington Valley Quilters is holding its third annual Hang-A-Quilt event on Saturday, June 19. Residents who own a handmade quilt are encouraged to creatively display it outside their residences for the public to enjoy and admire. Farmington Valley Quilters will also have a display set up in Simsbury for the day.

Avon: The Avon Arts Association has resumed in-person activities this month. Currently, an art show featuring over 40 pieces is on display at the Simsbury Library Program room now through June 28th. Visit AvonArts.org for additional information.