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| Dear Neighbor,
Did you know that today is Random Acts of Kindness day? To let our West Hartford firefighters know how much our community appreciates them, I worked with 3rd graders at Wolcott Elementary School to deliver thank you cards to at Berkshire Road and New Britain Avenue Station. Firefighters are there for our community no matter the hour or emergency. We truly appreciate their dedication and service. Thank you! |
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| Thank you to everyone who attended the West Hartford Legislative Low Down last Thursday. In case you missed it, you can find a recording of it here.
This will not be the only opportunity to interact with me this session. I have restarted my weekly Wednesday Rundown on my Facebook page. During these short video chats, you'll get the latest updates on the legislative session. If you're tuning in, share your ideas and questions in the comments! |
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| As always, you can also reach out to me at Kate.Farrar@cga.ct.gov to share your thoughts, ideas, and questions. |
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| This session, I have partnered with state Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw to introduce legislation that would offer an income tax credit to certain Connecticut taxpayers who purchase an electric bike. This bill came from a constituent idea to support further access to greener transportation options and encourage residents to use alternative modes of transit than motor vehicles. You can read the proposal and follow it through the legislative process here.
Do you have an idea for legislation? Please reach out to me at Kate.Farrar@cga.ct.gov so we can set up a time to talk about it. |
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| Throughout this week and next week, the legislature's Appropriations Committee started their public hearings on the Governor's budget proposal for the 2023 fiscal year. The presentations and hearings are broken down by agency and department. Today, Appropriations Committee will hold budget presentations and public hearings focusing on our state's health agencies. You can find a full schedule of the remaining presentations and hearings on the Connecticut General Assembly website, or the CGA Bulletin.
Members of the public are invited to provide testimony on these proposals. Individuals must register using the Online Testimony Registration Form if they wish to testify via Zoom. Registration will close at 3 p.m. the day prior to the hearing. To testify by phone, register by calling 860-240-0033 and leave your contact information. Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to APPtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Testimony should be limited to matters on the Agenda. |
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| In addition to the Appropriations Committee public hearings, the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, of which I am a member of, began its hearings on the Governor's budget proposal. On Tuesday, the Finance Committee met with Office of Policy and Management Undersecretary Jeffrey Beckham for a briefing on the governor's proposed revenue adjustments. If you missed the briefing, you can watch a recording of it on CTN.
After the public hearings, Appropriations develops a revised budget which is then passed out of the committee. At the same time, the Finance Committee will determine if there should be any changes to the bill's revenue package.
Legislative leaders, typically in consultation with the Office of the Governor and the Office of Policy and Management, work to develop a final bill. During this time, any number of changes may be made through bipartisan negotiations.
The bill then goes to the House and Senate for a vote. After being passed by both chambers, the governor must sign the bill into law.
I hope you'll follow along in the process. Additionally, the legislature's other committees will start the public hearing process. There's a lot that happens for a bill to become law. You can learn more about this process here and reach out with questions anytime. |
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| In case you missed it, West Hartford is among the 10 Connecticut towns awarded federal funds for transportation projects aimed at improving air quality. Our state was awarded a total of $24 million through the Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. Our state is distributing these funds to municipalities for impactful, cost-effective projects to reduce vehicle emissions in regions not meeting federal air quality standards.
West Hartford will use its $20,952 award to support the purchase of the town's first electric vehicle charging station to be installed at Town Hall for public use. You can learn more about this announcement here.
This initiative is a part of the state Department of Transportation's 5-year Capital Plan to reduce emissions, protect natural and community resources, and improve the health and safety of residents. The interim 5-year plan includes investments in our state's roads and bridges, public transportation, and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
To hear input and feedback from the public on this plan, CTDOT is holding a virtual Public Information session on Wednesday, February 23 at 7 p.m. To register for the session, click the button below. You'll also be able to find a recording on the CT Department of Transportation's website. |
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If you need of good, quality, affordable health care and meet certain eligibility requirements, the Covered Connecticut Program, Access Health CT (AHCT) announced a Special Enrollment Period running now through June 30.
The Covered Connecticut Program pays the customer’s portion of the monthly payment (premium) directly to their insurance company. The program also covers the cost-sharing amounts residents normally would have to pay with a health insurance plan, including co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs.
To qualify for the Covered Connecticut Program, Connecticut residents must:
- meet income requirements
- be a parent or caretaker relative with children in the household that are under age 19 (if the children are age 18 or older, they must be full-time students in secondary school)
- use all the financial help available through Access Health CT
- be enrolled in an eligible Silver level health insurance plan.
To determine if you are eligible, have your questions answered and enroll in the Covered Connecticut Program during this Special Enrollment Period, call the Access Health CT Covered Connecticut Program hotline at 860-241-8478, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can also click on the button “Covered Connecticut” for more details.
Coverage begins on the first of the month following enrollment so, if, for example, a person enrolls on February 5, their coverage begins on March 1.
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| On Monday, all West Hartford police officers began wearing body cameras. This comes after years of research and testing with the expectation the cameras will help to increase transparency, build community trust, and serve as an impartial witness. Body cameras are also required for police departments under Connecticut's 2020 police accountability law. You can read more about this here. |
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| As always, if I can be of assistance to you and your family, please reach out to me at 860-240-8585 or email me at Kate.Farrar@cga.ct.gov. Follow @KateforCT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Kate Farrar
State Representative
she/her/hers |
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