State Capitol Update for the week of March 14th
March 18, 2022Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of March 14th.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, click here.
I'm getting back into the rhythm of morning drives to Hartford again, as every day but Monday this week has featured in-person meetings or session in the Capitol. Now that we are back in Daylight Savings Time, those morning drives are dark, but sometimes that means I make it back when it's still light out, which yesterday enabled a run, as you can see from this week's video.
I've also been struck this week by all the small conversations that connect us to one another, and build relationships that make the process of legislating (or just getting through the day) better. Yesterday was Saint Patrick's Day, and every meeting or event I attended for the last three days included recitations about everyone's Irish heritage, or connections to someone else with Irish heritage. This year is also the hundredth anniversary of Irish Independence, so we inaugurated a new Irish-American caucus in the legislature. As my mother was 100% Irish (including Hogans, Scanlons, Fitzsimmons, O’Connors, and Fitzpatricks) I include myself in that group, but there are no admissions requirements! The newly minted group gathered in front of the Capitol before session on Wednesday to hoist the Irish flag.
Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- COVID-19 Weekly Update. Click Here
- Upcoming hearings – schedule. Click Here
- House passes HB 5262, An Act Revising Certain Absentee Voting Eligibility Statutes. Click Here
- House Passes HB 5271, An Act Concerning the Provision of Outdoor Food and Beverage Services and Outdoor Displays of Goods. Click Here
- Regional Vaccination Clinic. Click Here
- Changes to Kent COVID Testing schedule Click Here
- Message from the Office of the Healthcare Advocate (OHA) Click Here
- News from the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board Click Here
- Operation Fuel conducting focus groups on energy assistance Click Here
- March 16 was Small Business Development Center Day Click Here
- Celebrate Maple Weekend March 19-20 Click Here
- Ten new license plate options for veterans announced Click Here
- Providing information to Connecticut residents. Click Here
For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”
Public Hearing Schedule for the coming week
A look at the schedule of public hearings being held this week. Please remember that you only need to register if you wish to provide testimony. If you want to observe the hearings, you can tune in to watch the proceedings live on the committee’s YouTube channel.
You can register to testify and find more detail on this week’s public hearings, including the bills that will be heard, in this week’s CGA Bulletin. You can access the Bulletin here: https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/CGABulletin/Bulletin.asp
House passes HB 5262, An Act Revising Certain Absentee Voting Eligibility Statutes
Voting is a fundamental right that ought to be fair and accessible, but Connecticut's voting laws are needlessly restrictive when it comes to voting by absentee ballot.
Earlier this week the House passed HB 5262, An Act Revising Certain Absentee Voting Eligibility Statutes, to make it easier for voters to vote absentee if they're feeling unwell, worried about their health, or out of town on Election Day.
To be eligible to cast an absentee ballot, current law requires voters to have a physical disability or illness that prevents them from voting in person or be out of town for at least 14 hours on Election Day.
No voter should ever have to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote. This proposal eases some of the eligibility restrictions for absentee ballots so that more residents can choose this method to cast their ballot.
I encourage you to track this legislation as it moves forward for a vote in the Senate. I will keep you informed with further updates.
House Passes HB 5271, An Act Concerning the Provision of Outdoor Food and Beverage Services and Outdoor Displays of Goods.
Republicans in the House voted "no"…and Senate Republicans blocked the bill from moving forward.
H.B. 5271 extends outdoor dining provisions by an additional 13 months. When this provision was first implemented in 2020, it allowed restaurants to safely stay in business when the number of people allowed inside buildings was restricted, keeping restaurant workers employed and customers safe.
Despite resounding support from the Connecticut Restaurant Association, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, and members of the public who have enjoyed having the option to dine out safely while supporting their favorite local restaurants, Republicans in the State Senate blocked the bill, delaying the final approval.
Failing to approve this bill will only create more uncertainty for restaurants still trying to recoup their losses from the pandemic. Connecticut restaurants supported healthcare workers and first responders by staying open at the height of the pandemic. Now they deserve our support.
To read the full bill, CLICK HERE.
Regional Vaccination Clinic
There will be a 12+ COVID Vaccination Clinic at Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) today, Friday, March 18, 2022, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m.
All three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, will be available. All boosters will also be available. Further information on primary shots and boosters can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html
Also, there will be a Pediatric (ages 5-11) Vaccination Clinic at HVRHS on Friday, April 1, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Only pediatric vaccinations (ages 5-11) will be administered at this clinic.
A parent or guardian must accompany the child, ages 5-11, and only the pediatric Pfizer vaccination will be administered. A Pediatric Intake Form.pdf must be completed - you may print and complete it in advance, or forms will be available to complete at each clinic.
Changes to Kent COVID Testing schedule
As we continue to see a decrease in COVID-19 cases, we are also seeing a decrease in testing, and as a result, our partners at DPH have notified Kent that testing on Sundays will be discontinued. The site continues to be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 - 6:00 pm.
We also have home test kits available to pick up in the First Selectman's office at Town Hall.
Message from the Office of the Healthcare Advocate (OHA)
The mission of the Office of the Healthcare Advocate (OHA) is to assist consumers with healthcare issues through the establishment of effective outreach programs and the development of communications related to consumer rights and responsibilities as members of healthcare plans. OHA focuses on assisting consumers in making informed decisions when selecting a health plan; assisting consumers to resolve problems with their health insurance plans and tracking trends of issues/problems, which may require administrative or legislative intervention, or advocacy with industry, the public, or other stakeholders.
This week OHA sent a communication that has particular resonance for issues with respect to the availability of healthcare throughout the state, so I thought I would share it with you.
the umbrella organizationsof our largest healthcare
providers is a continuing concern of the Office of
Healthcare Advocate (OHA). A recent article highlighted
the issue quite well. Most of the time, these mergers
lead to higher prices and a lack of competition in the
marketplace. In this case, Yale New Haven Health is
looking to take over three more key regional hospitals
in one move. The march of consolidation has been
going on for the past two decades. According to this
article, studies show there are cost savings for the
hospitals but far less positive impact for consumers.
Why is this such a concern? According to the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau an estimated
$88 billion in unpaid medical bills are showing up on the
credit reports of consumers. This hurts their credit score,
can result in collection calls and other punitive
actions and many of these bills are inaccurate and
sometimes, just wrong. We see this every day at the OHA
and it's one of the primary reasons people turn to us for help.
Many of these bills arise from a gap between the medical
provider and the insurance company. The credit reporting
tool is often used as a cudgel to force consumers to pay
for a bill they may not even owe.
At a time when 20% of American families are carrying
medical debt - and the CFPB is reporting that 58% of
bills that are in collections and on credit reports of
consumers nationwide are from medical treatments,
we must look at these consolidations skeptically
and critically. We also have to wonder if medical bills
should even be on credit reports while looking at the
root causes for those unpaid expenses. Medical costs
are rising, not decreasing, and they are just too high.
Ted Doolittle
Healthcare Advocate, State of Connecticut
Operation Fuel conducting focus groups on energy assistance
In an effort to better understand how energy cost and energy reliability play a role in the lives of Connecticut residents, and the ways in which energy assistance and energy programs can and should be made better, Operation Fuel is working with Yale University and Vermont Law School on a series of upcoming focus group interviews.
If you or anyone you know are interested in participating, please click here to take a brief, 4-question survey.
If you or your organization works with CT residents who might be interested in participating, we would be grateful for your help in sharing this survey - the link is located at:
https://docs.google.com/forms
/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1uEyw4zzyNaM2B2fKpIbVTfbPm7A61BkQh56I7g0NrWoqiQ/viewform?ts=62157b1a
This survey is not being conducted on behalf of any of the energy supply companies in CT.
March 16 was Small Business Development Center Day
Wednesday, March 16, was Small Business Development Center Day. Small Business Development Center Day celebrates the positive impact that the centers have had on small and local businesses. Last year, the 28 Connecticut-based development centers helped launch 184 businesses.
Small and local businesses are the backbone of our communities. These are the places where many of us have created lifelong memories. They are owned by people we love and respect -our neighbors, friends, and family.
Over the past two years, businesses of all sizes have experienced financial losses, but smaller ones were disproportionally impacted. As we start to turn a corner and return to normal, we need to ensure that these places have the resources and support necessary to thrive. During the 2021 session, my colleagues and I worked to craft legislation that would benefit small businesses:
- Allowed certain businesses that serve meals, such as hotels, restaurants, and bars to keep 100% of the sales tax they collect on meal sales during a set time period (PA 21-2)
- Updated the Small Business Express Program to allow for increased participation by private lenders (PA 21-1)
- Created a Regional Economic Development Pilot Program through the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) that will provide matching grants to regional economic development corporations implementing economic development programs (PA 21-77)
- Authorized up to $875 million in bonds for a five-year bonding program to fund qualifying projects and grants in eligible municipalities that are designated as public investment communities or alliance districts (PA-21-2)
Click here to read a complete list of all of the business related bills that were passed in 2021.
We hope to build on the progress made last year and continue to push for further reform during this session.
If you are a small business owner and are looking for assistance, please check out the CT SBDC website for more information. They have a plethora of resources, including webinars, tips for expanding your customer base, and more.
Please reach out to my office with any additional questions.
Celebrate Maple Weekend, March 19-20
Connecticut is home to more than 250 maple syrup producers on a commercial level with many more enthusiasts who enjoy collecting sap from maple trees and boiled down to become maple syrup for their pancakes or other maple confections.
Connecticut maple producers bottle approximately 20,000 gallons of syrup per year – no easy feat as it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Mother Nature plays an integral role in production as freezing nights and warm, sunny days are necessary for the maple tree to yield sap. Maple syrup has four grades ranging from Grade A Golden Color with a delicate taste to Grade A Very Dark Color with a strong taste.
To learn more about Maple Weekend and find a participating location, visit ctmaple.org.
Ten new license plate options for veterans announced
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles is now offering 10 new license plate options for veterans that commemorate specific wartime periods, including the Afghanistan War, Grenada, the Iraq War, the Korean War, Lebanon, Operation Ernest Will, Panama, the Persian Gulf War, the Vietnam War, and World War II. These plates are offered in addition to the standard Connecticut license plate for veterans and are available exclusively for veterans who served during these specific periods of war and those who received campaign medals.
The license plates are available for passenger, commercial, combination, camper, and camp trailer types, and cost $27.50. Veterans can request a new veteran plate by completing the Special Plate Application Form on the DMV’s website at portal.ct.gov/DMV-War-Vet-Plate.
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.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend.
Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative