Newsletter

May 6, 2022
The 2022 legislative session has come to an end and I would like to include some of what we did in the House since our last update, including passing SB1 and SB2, both related to children's mental health, an issue close to my heart.

We mentioned the $600 million in tax cuts from the recently-passed budget last week but there is so much more in it that will benefit our district. We'll break some of that down here as well as provide quick access to all the legislation we passed this session.
 
Bills Passed in the House During 2022 Legislative Session
 
Please click on the image below for a complete list of all the bills we passed during the 2022 legislative session.
 
Passed in the House: SB1 and SB2, Related to Children's Mental, Physical, Behavioral Health
Both SB1, An Act Concerning Childhood Mental and Physical Health Services in Schools and SB2, AAC Expanding Preschool and Mental and Behavioral Services for Children passed in the House this week and will complement, nicely, HB5001, AAC Children's Mental Health, of which I was lead sponsor.

In what is being hailed as historic, HB5001 passed in both chambers unanimously, and is headed to Governor Lamont's desk. I am deeply thankful for the overwhelming support of this bill and would like to thank my colleagues for coming together on SB1 and SB2 as well.
Now is the time to address the many issues our youth were having prior to the pandemic, during and after.
 
Benefits of the Budget
 
We talked about the $600 million in tax cuts CT residents will receive as a result of the budget we passed in the House last week, but here's a closer look at more benefits of the budget.

Protecting our environment and addressing climate change are challenges that affect all of us. Prior to the start of the 2022 legislative session, I pledged to support policies that would help cut our carbon footprint, promote environmental justice, and protect the health of Connecticut residents.
 
Our state budget delivers on policies that, without a doubt, are steps forward to achieving our environmental goals, including better health outcomes for all residents.

Transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to worsening air quality, leading to higher rates of illnesses like asthma.

Investing in our transportation sector and encouraging wide-scale electric vehicle distribution will greatly contribute to reducing these emissions and ultimately, improving air quality - 

SB 4  invests in transitioning to electric and zero-emission state vehicles, school busses, transit buses, and much more.
Additional budget investments for a cleaner environment include:
  • New incentives for consumer and commercial electric vehicles
  • Establishing the Office of Aquatic Invasive Species
  • More sophisticated testing of shellfish
  • Repopulating native salmon and eel populations 
  • New waste management programming
  • Increasing access to rebates and vouchers to buy electric vehicles through programs like CHEAPR
  • Equalizing the registration fee for electric vehicles with all other motor vehicles and establishing a voucher program for the purchase of electric bicycles

Reducing toxic air pollutants and setting emissions control measures help us, and future generations, breathe easier by bringing Connecticut to the level of other states that have strong clean air policies in place.
 
Children often are among the first to be impacted by social, economic, and healthcare disruptions. To help relieve parents, I voted to support the inclusion of a child tax payment in our state budget.

The child tax payment will provide parents with qualifying incomes a graduated personal income tax credit of up to $600 for up to three dependent children under the age of 16.


 
Click Here For More Information
We also made other investments in children that include:
  • Increased funding for infant and toddler care programs
  • Increased pay to childcare workers to attract and retain more educators
  • An expansion of the successful Birth to Three Program
  • Assisting local childcare facilities with renovations

Our work this session focused on making our childcare system more resilient and supporting parents and guardians. Please share this information with parents you know and reach out if you have questions about any of these programs.
 
Every student in our state should have access to an education filled with opportunity that sets them up for success. The best investment we can make in our future is giving our schools the tools and resources they need today to help our students succeed tomorrow – and our state budget doubles down on the investment.

Our schools educate students of all backgrounds with different needs. We are fortunate to have incredibly talented educators in our state that have gone the extra mile, especially during the pandemic as they adapted to a rapidly changing educational landscape.
The budget will:
  • Increase local funding for special education
  • Expand minority teacher scholarships
  • Expand school choice opportunities
  • Stabilize funding for CT colleges and Universities
  • Double funding for bilingual education

Our schools are still rebounding from the pandemic, and this budget will ensure our students and educators have the supports they need to succeed.
 
Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday is Mother's Day! I hope you all have a great day.