Weekly Meetings 2.18

February 22, 2022

As you know, the work of a legislator does not stop when the legislature is not in session. I spend most of my time during the week attending meetings and advocating for legislation that will positively impact the 57th district. Below is a list of the events I attended over the past two weeks.  

Hartford County Farm Bureau
On Tuesday, I met with the Hartford County Farm Bureau via Zoom.  
Public Health Committee

The Public Health Committee held their first meeting of the 2022 session. Topics of interest included children’s mental health, opioid abuse prevention, and background check requirements for long-term care facility care providers. If you have any suggestions that you’d like to share, stay in touch with me -  I can be reached at jaime.foster@cga.ct.gov

Children's Mental Health Legislation
On Friday, I joined a bipartian group of legislators from  the Connecticut General Assembly to announce legislation which prioritizes the mental health of Connecticut children and families.

Raised Bill No. 5001 aims to address the mental health crisis in Connecticut through five main components: 

  • Invests in Workforce Development
  • Expands Current Systems
  • Supports Mental Health in Schools
  • Redefines Insurance Coverage for Children with Mental Illness
  • Provides Resources for Providers & Programs to Directly Care for Children

I was proud to stand with two of my Committee Chairs - Rep. Linehan and Rep. Steinberg. 

Click here to access the raised bill.
Well Water Contamination 
On Friday, I met with Commissioner Boughton, First Selectwoman Lori Spielman, First Selectman Jason Bowsza to discuss funding  for well water contamination from the federal infrastructure bill. This is another example of our multifaceted efforts to address this issue. I will continue to update you once I get more information.  
 
Here are some things I am always working on to benefit the district: 
  • Worked on citations for several constituents
  • Email and phone calls to follow up on local issues
  • Keep in touch with municipal CEOs to collaborate!
  • Sharing funding announcements with local orgs who might not see things I get
  • Stay in touch with local PDs
    Stay in touch with local school admin
  • Meeting with constituents about local issues and asks
  • Planning / organizing outreach events and office hours to keep open and transparent office

 

Other Events  

Galentine's Day

February 13 was Galentine's Day, a pop-culture reference to a day to celebrate female friendship. I wanted to give a special shoutout to the women of the CT General Assembly.

Last week, I had this great intention to rise for point of personal privilege and honor the life and sacrifice of my grandmother, whose immigration to the US made me eventually holding office possible.

That didn't pan out … because as it turns out, I was not ready to speak publicly about her passing.

What I've realized about being an elected official is that people expect us to shed our humanity as we gain the title of politician... We don't, I didn't and you know what... I don't think the majority of our constituents want us to.

Thank you again to State Representatives Robyn Porter, Aimee Berger-Girvalo, Maria Horn and  Christine Goupil for their support during a difficult period. 
 
Resources from Connecticut's Children's 
 

On behalf of Connecticut Children’s, I wanted to reach out with a few updates you and your constituents may find useful, including two new toolkits.

  • Check out our Parenting Through Change Kit which can help families navigate COVID reopenings and lots of other life changes (divorce, teens getting ready to graduate, etc.).
  • Connecticut Children’s also recently launched a Prepare for Care Kit to help families support kiddos on their health journeys (everything from vaccines and well visits to surgery). 
  • Pediatric Psychologist Emily Wakefield offers suggestions for how to talk with kids about COVID-19 when someone tests positive. Find the article here.
  •  Rare Disease Day is fast approaching! On Monday 2/28, Connecticut Children’s, Jackson Laboratories, and UConn Health are collaborating on a joint event highlighting rare disease physician researchers, patient stories, and resources for families impacted by rare disease. You can register here.

Please reach out to my office if you have any additional questions. 
 

Upcoming Events

Public Hearing this Friday

This Friday, the Public Health and Children's committee will host a joint public hearing at 9 am. The bills being discussed pertain to children's mental health - S.B. 2 and H.B. 5001.

Testimony can given through Zoom. The speaker order of approved registrants will be posted on the Public Health and Children's Committee website on Thursday, February 24, under Public Hearing Testimony. There you’ll be able to see where in the order you’ll be on the list to speak. *Note: Registration will close on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 3:00 P.M.

Once you testify, they will remove you from the Zoom webinar, and you can then watch the rest of the hearing on Youtube.

How to Sign Up

 
Here is a template for how your testimony can be addressed:
 
If written, you can include: “Testimony of (First Name, Last Name) of (Organization or Town) in support of Raised H.B. No. 5001 – AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH or Proposed S.B. No. 2 -
AN ACT EXPANDING PRESCHOOL AND MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN”.
 
In person: “Co-Chair___, Co-Chair ___, Ranking Member____, Ranking Member ___, Vice Chair____, Vice Chair ___ and members of the Education and Public Health Committee, for the record my is (First name, Last name) of (Town) and I am offering this testimony in support of House Bill 5001 or Senate Bill 2. Thank you for raising this bill and the opportunity to testify here today…”
 
[From there, share the reasons why you support the bill.  Please note- when testifying in person, you will be limited to 3 minutes, so it always best to summarize your main points. Committee members will already have a copy of your written testimony for the official record]
 
If you have any additional questions, check out this quick tutorial video that walks you through the public hearing sign up process and how to check where you are signed up to testify on the day of the public hearing. Click here to watch. 
 

Rare Disease Day Forum Monday 28

On honor of Rare Disease Day, Connecticut Children’s, The Jackson Laboratory, and UConn Health jointly present a virtual forum for Connecticut rare disease patients, advocates, and policymakers. Please join us via Zoom to hear directly from those living with rare disorders, learn from cutting-edge physician researchers who are committed to identifying treatments and cures, and for information about available resources for families impacted by rare disorders provided by the National Organization for Rare Disorders.