State Capitol update for the week of February 7th

February 11, 2022

Dear Friend,

This is my State Capitol update for the week of February 7th.

If you prefer to watch rather than read, you can watch the update here.

 

On Wednesday, the 2022 Legislative Session began.  Speaker Matt Ritter honored a group of people from throughout the state whose work and sacrifice have made life better and safer for all of us, making clear that they stood in for the many who have put themselves at risk in order to help their neighbors in need during the last year.  The Governor addressed the House and Senate in Joint Session to present his budget adjustments and policy priorities for the year ahead, and yesterday we digested the details of those proposals.
 
The abiding feeling in the chamber was one of joy that we were all able to be together, as it was the first time since 2020 that all Representatives and Senators were welcomed there.  Hugs broke out throughout, though still hesitant, as we checked in with each other's comfort level.  We're very much looking forward to working together, in person, on the people's business.
 

Yesterday, we kicked off with Committee Meetings starting at 8:30 am.  At 12:30, the House convened to take up the question of whether to codify all or parts of 11 executive orders the Governor has asked us to extend beyond February 15, for specific periods. 
 
There's been some confusion about what the Governor proposed, as well as what, specifically, we voted on. So, first: we did not extend the Governor's authority to continue to issue executive orders under the current emergency.  To be clear, the Governor never asked us to provide him with that authority, nor did anyone argue for that. The Governor's authority will expire on February 15. 
 
The remaining executive orders that were voted on involve a variety of issues.  They authorize non-congregant housing for those at risk, ensure vaccinations remain available at no cost, facilitate procurement of emergency supplies, alleviate staffing shortages for healthcare workers, ensure that low-income families and seniors experiencing hardship continue to receive federal benefits available to them, and continue a statewide mandate for students and school staff. 
 
The one we hear the most about, and the one that most of yesterday's debate focused on, is the final one: the school mask mandate.  I spoke with many people in our district (and other parts of the state) about this issue before I took my vote.  What they all have in common is a deep concern for the health and welfare of our children.  Many of them are parents, teachers, daycare center operators, pediatric nurses, or others who work with or care for children, and many are worried, anxious, and afraid of long-term consequences for young people.  The vast majority want us to "follow the science" and "not play politics" – though they draw different conclusions about what that means.

There's no solution here that will eliminate all the risks our children are bearing.  We do know that masks, when worn properly, reduce transmission of COVID-19, and that better (medical quality) masks work better than cloth masks.  There is good evidence that masking by teachers and other adults at school has limited transmission. The evidence about the student masking is less clear, possibly because they don't wear them correctly some portion of the time. We also know that vaccines work, with current statistics demonstrating you are 13 times less likely to die from COVID if you are vaccinated.  Vaccination rates among children remain lower than other population groups, and our youngest children remain ineligible for the vaccine.
 
We also know that the spike of infections from the Omicron variant is ebbing and that hospitalizations are coming down, pretty dramatically, which may herald a new, better, chapter in this pandemic saga. We also know that people are sick of wearing masks.  While I have yet to see data on this, I have heard from educators that they are concerned about language development and other delays that masks may be causing in our youngest children.  Certainly, mental health needs have skyrocketed, for all of us, but particularly for our youngest.
 
The Governor proposed eliminating the statewide mask mandate for students and staff by the end of February, based on the recommendations of the public health doctors and scientists, and statewide school officials, who advise him. The proposal we voted on last night codifies that recommendation while allowing the commissioners of Education and Public Health to decide whether to reinstate the mandate during this school year should the virus once again take a sharp turn for the worse.    
 
Connecticut has a good record of making decisions based on the best available science, and this recommendation struck me as a good balance of moving speedily toward ending the mandate and getting back to "normal" while leaving some short term discretion in the hands of those responsible for public health (Department of Public Health) and the welfare of our school-aged kids (Department of Education), rather than politicians.
 
I support that compromise.

To those who have a long weekend ahead of you, I wish you a happy one!  It is JumpFest weekend at the Salisbury ski jumps, so maybe I will see you there!
 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  

covid

 

 

                                                                                   Click here for more information.

 

How to participate in the 2022 Legislative Session

This session, we'll have the opportunity to continue addressing the fallout of COVID-19, make Connecticut more affordable for working families, and advance Connecticut's recovery.

 

 

session

 
Resources to Navigate the 2022 Session

  • The non-partisan Office of Legislative Research recently published the 2022 Major Issues report, which summarizes key issues the legislature could take up during the upcoming session.
  • Visit the CGA website to view a daily schedule of events, access committee information, find your State Senator or State Representative, and more.
  • Read the Bulletin to find out when committees are meeting, how to provide public hearing testimony, and more.
  • Register for the CGA's Bill Tracking system, here, to follow any bill as it moves through the legislative process. You will receive notifications when the bill's status changes.
  • For information on how to testify on a bill that is up for a public hearing, follow this link.
  • Access the CGA Citizen's Guide, here, for more on how you can become part of the process
  • Follow CTN for live coverage of committee meetings and House and Senate floor debates.
  • Are you curious about how your tax dollars are spent? The State Comptroller's OpenConnecticut web portal allows residents to track state government spending in real time

 
Your voice is fundamental to the legislative process, and I hope you will continue to reach out to me to share your thoughts, ideas, and questions.

 

Broadband Access Forum on February 8
 
Earlier this week I held a forum on the future of broadband access in Connecticut.  It was a great panel of knowledgeable people who will be making decisions which will affect the investments in internet infrastructure here in the Northwest Corner, including:

  • Claire Coleman, Interim Consumer Counsel for the Office of Consumer Counsel
  • Burt Cohen, Staff Attorney & Broadband Policy Coordinator for the Office of Consumer Counsel
  • Victoria Hackett, Bureau Chief and Acting Deputy Commissioner at CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
  • Kevin Pisacich, Director of the Office of Telecommunications and Broadband at CT DEEP, and
  • Wayne Hileman, Chairman of the Board of Northwest ConneCT

To watch the presentation, click here.

 

Update Regarding Sharon Hospital
 
Many of you have reached out with concerns about Nuvance’s plan to reduce services at Sharon Hospital, including closing Labor & Delivery.  Nuvance has applied to the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) to amend the Certificate of Need (or “CON”) which governs Sharon Hospital’s operations.  The CON requires that services be continued, so Nuvance needs the state’s permission to close services.  We are waiting for the public hearing on that request to be scheduled.
 
In a related case that could be helpful, earlier this week OHS found Hartford HealthCare to be in willful violation of its CON when it closed Obstetric Services at Windham Hospital before receiving approval from the state.  OHS fined Hartford HealthCare $151,000, plus $1,000 per day for any continued violation.  We’re watching this case closely, as it makes clear that Nuvance is also not permitted to shut down services without the state’s permission. 

 

aarp

AARP Community Challenge Grants
 
AARP Connecticut invites local organizations and governments across the state to apply for the 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant program, now through March 22, 2022. Grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public spaces, transportation, housing, civic engagement, coronavirus recovery, diversity and inclusion, and more. Now in its sixth year, the grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live.  
 
Learn more:   https://states.aarp.org/connecticut/aarp-connecticut-accepting-2022-community-challenge-grant-applications

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.

 

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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Sincerely,


Maria Horn
State Representative