Eleni Kavros DeGraw

As we are in session today, I decided to add one more update for this week to address the emails I have been receiving on the topic of the Governor's mandates – both for and against – from many of my constituents.

We are truly lucky to live in a state with a high vaccination rate. A few days ago, I received an email from a Floridian who moved their family to Connecticut because of how unsafe they felt in a state where infections run rampant and citizens are told to refrain from calling 911 as there is no one to help you. This is one of the reasons why we have to be careful about next steps. The pandemic isn't a static event. It is an ever-changing global event with mutating variants and complex variable - probably the single most frustrating thing about the pandemic is the unknown.

Our public health officials tell us that we still need to use basic prevention and mitigation methods to keep individuals safe. That is what we have to do for the sake of everyone.  We are all fatigued at this point and it's frustrating to feel that the pandemic isn't done with us yet. Just last week, the CDC released a study of an Arizona school where students didn't wear masks. The study revealed, that schools like that, with no mask requirement, were 3.5 times more likely to have a COVID outbreak. For parents of unvaccinated children, that's naturally concerning.

The remaining ten Executive Orders the Governor requested the legislature to vote on in this special session helps us:

• contain COVID (especially in places like nursing homes and other congregate settings),
• help individuals get vaccinated,
• keep our children in school, and
• encourages economic rebound

We are also making sure that hungry children get fed with SNAP dollars, domestic violence survivors in shelters are protected, and nursing homes have the PPE they need to keep their residents safe.

Some states have gone out of the state of emergency, only to have to go right back in within days or weeks. Some states are calling their "emergency declaration" COVID powers under special acts. While they may have different names, they all function the same way—to make decisions rapidly. When the Governor calls a special session, it frequently takes a month for that session to happen, which is too much time when actions need to be taken quickly, and we are not in session again until February.

We are not giving the Governor a blank check. We are ensuring that we can work quickly and effectively to keep everyone safe. The deliberative legislative process can be both good and bad, but one thing it isn't is quick. The legislature continues to play its role in in working with the Governor and state agencies to craft commonsense policies that keep our schools open and our economy growing. If there is an issue we cannot address through administrative action, my colleagues and I will be prepared to come in again.

Current Executive Orders

Below is a list of the current Executive Orders issued by Governor Lamont in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are still in effect and all, pending further modification, expire on Sept. 30, 2021:

• Executive Order 7P, sec. 1: Authorization to Provide for Non-Congregant Housing for Persons at Risk
• Executive Order 7EEE, sec. 1: Authorization for OPM to Direct DSS to Provide Coronavirus Relief Funding to Additional Providers
• Executive Order 9, sec. 1: Commissioners of Early Childhood and Education May Issue Operational Rules
• Executive Order 9Q, sec. 3: Out-of-Network COVID-19 Immunization
• Executive Order 10, sec. 4: Use of Commuter Parking Facilities for COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination
• Executive Order 11D, secs. 2 & 3:
  • Modification of State Contracting Statutes to Facilitate Emergency Procurement of Essential Goods
  • Modification of State Contracting Statutes to Facilitate the Emergency Procurement of Essential Services
• Executive Order 12D: Application to UniteCT Required Before Delivering Notice to Quit for Nonpayment of Rent (tenant protections)
• Executive Order 13A: Authorization for municipal leaders to implement universal mask requirements & modification of effective date on legislation that requires testing of nursing home staff
• Executive Order 13C: COVID-19 Immunization Information Access
• Executive Order 13D (Repealed by EO 13G): COVID-19 vaccination requirements for state employees, school employees, and childcare facility staff
• Executive Order 13E: Establishment of temporary nurse aide program
• Executive Order 13F: Modification of deadline for long term care facility staff to receive vaccinations
• Summary of Executive Order 13G :
  • Requires all current and prospective executive branch state employees, state hospital employees (including long-term care workers), K-12 public and private employees, and child care facility employees to, by Sept. 27, 2021, be (1) fully vaccinated against COVID-19; (2) have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and be scheduled for a second dose; or (3) apply for a medical or religious exemption to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Unvaccinated employees, regardless of exemption status, must provide weekly results of a COVID-19 test.
  • Information collected under this order is exempt from disclosure under state FOIA.

CDC Approves Booster Shots For Pfizer-BioNTech Recipients

Good news! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended booster shots for certain individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which includes:

• Individuals 65 years of age and older
• Frontline workers ages 18 to 64 who are at risk of exposure
• Long-term nursing home residents; and
• Individuals with certain high-risk, underlying medical conditions.

Booster shots were previously approved for those who are immunocompromised in mid-August.

Although people who have received two vaccine doses still have significant protection against COVID-19, a third dose is a chance for older adults and those most at risk to reinforce their immunity. Those who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not yet eligible for booster shots.

Booster shots may be administered six months after the second vaccine dose. Those who are eligible for a booster shot can sign up at https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal. Booster shots will be available at hospital vaccine sites, at urgent care clinics and pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens.

It is important to note that high levels of demand may make appointments difficult to come by at first, but those who want booster shots will not have to wait long.

The COVID-19 vaccine is our greatest weapon against this deadly virus. As new variants continue to develop and spread, it is critical that everyone get vaccinated. I encourage all those that are eligible to sign up and get a booster shot to improve immunity against COVID-19.

If you have not gotten vaccinated, you can find a location near you by visiting https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal.

Stay safe and stay well.

Farmington Valley Greenway Update

We ended up with a beautiful day on Friday to celebrate the almost $600,000 in bond money coming to the Town of Canton for the Farmington Valley Greenway.

I'm proud to have put this project move forward. I'm also grateful to bond chairwoman, Representative Dorinda Borer, for helping the shovel-ready project make the list.

Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz celebrated this further connection of the Greenway and we were joined by First Selectman Robert Bessel and ShopRite owner, Chuck Joseph as well as Steven Mitchell of Mitchell Autogroup and Elizabeth Power Ackerman of The Shops at Farmington Valley.

Special thanks to Bob Skinner and Neil Pade for their diligent work on this project for years.

New Laws: Effective Friday October 1st

Several new laws will go into effect on Friday October 1. These laws are a result of the hard work of my colleagues and I during the 2021 session. We worked tirelessly to push for change that would benefit all Connecticut residents. Below is a selection of some of those laws:

Breastfeeding in the Workplace

• Public Act No. 21-27 – Requires employers to provide a private room or location with an electrical outlet for women to express milk. Employers must also provide a refrigerated space to store the breastmilk.  
• The law also protects breastfeeding employees from workplace discrimination.

Marijuana and Smoking Restrictions

• On October 1, a portion of Public Act No. 21-1 will go into effect.
• Medical marijuana patients who are 18 years of age or older can start growing mature and immature plants at home.
• Smoking of any kind (tobacco, vaping, marijuana) will be prohibited within 25 feet of the any door, window, or vent intake of any building open to the public.

Pedestrian Safety

• PA 21-28 clarifies the rules for pedestrians in crosswalks
  • Starting October 1, drivers must slow down or stop if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk or indicated that they are going to cross.

Addressing Gender Discrimination

• PA 21-30 – Requires employers to offer equal pay for "comparable” work regardless of gender.
• Also requires employers to offer prospective applicants and employees with a scale of pay among those with similar tasks.

"Bottle Bill"

• PA 21-58 -Starting October 1, certain retailers will be required to have at least two reverse vending machines on their premises.
• It also increases the handling fee paid by the distributors to redemption centers from 2.5 cents per beverage container to 3.5 cents.

Click here for the complete list of laws that will go into effect on October 1.

Although these laws are a compilation of this year's accomplishments in the legislature, you always have the opportunity to make your voice heard. Please stay active in the legislative processes and stay in touch. You can reach me at Eleni.KavrosDegraw@cga.ct.gov

Replay: Youth Car Theft In CT: Trends and Steps To Improve Public Safety Webinar

The UConn Dept. of Public Policy hosted a webinar panel on Youth Car Theft in CT: Trends and Steps to Improve Public Safety on Thursday. The webinar was directed at establishing the facts of youth car thefts, steps recently taken, and possible next steps to address the issue. It's a very serious issue in our state. If you didn't get a chance to join in you can check out how it went by clicking on the image below.

I'm also including below, an online event I hosted recently via zoom featuring Avon Police Chief Rio, Canton Police Chief Arcerio and Expert and Researcher, Ken Barone, of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy about car thefts in our community and state and how to best address the issue.

Have You Ever Wondered...How Does The Absentee Ballot Process Work?

How do we vote by absentee ballot? Click on this image below for the details, including a link to the application form. Like last year, you'll have the choice of mailing your ballot in or dropping it in the special lock boxes.

Whatever you decide, I urge you to vote in Connecticut's municipal elections this year. Democracy works best when we all vote!