Kate Farrar

It was great to welcome The Performance Lab to the 20th District! Becky - a physical therapist - received an equity grant from the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC) to expand her all-inclusive “one-stop-shop” for physical performance and recovery to West Hartford.

If you're looking to start your business or take your existing one to the next level, WBDC has numerous resources and funding opportunities to help! Learn more here.

The environmental scorecards are helpful tools in measuring our state's progress in the effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, helping voters hold state elected official accountable, and determining future action. You can read more about the scorecard here.

Starting this week, more than 1,700 eligible CT-based hospitality businesses will receive checks in the mail through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's CT Hospitality Industry Support Program. The new grant program was established in the biennium state budget passed during the 2021 legislative session allocating $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support hospitality businesses that experienced financial losses because of the pandemic. 

Businesses will receive checks directly from the state Department of Revenue Services in amounts ranging from $7,500 to $49,999. The base grant for businesses located in distressed municipalities is $15,000. Businesses DO NOT have to apply for the grant.

To receive a grant, existing businesses must meet several criteria, including a decline of 15% or more in gross receipts when comparing calendar years 2019 to 2021. Grants can be used to support payroll and benefits; employee retention; mortgage, rent, utility, and other operating expenses; existing equipment/facilities maintenance; or costs to support COVID-19 mitigation and infection prevention strategies.

These grants will help offset some of the financial challenges these businesses experienced in the face of the pandemic and stabilize them for future challenges.

You can learn more about this new grant program here.

Our state continues to support our business community and this program is another example of that commitment.

In order to be eligible to apply, an individual must have:

• Been employed as an essential worker in Connecticut between March 10, 2020 and May 7, 2022
• Not had the option to work remotely
• Not been employed by a federal, state or municipal government agency
• Earned $149,999 or less annually

Payments will be allocated on a sliding scale based upon a worker's annual income. The deadline to apply is October 1 and the application is available here. Please note the program will formally open later this week.
 
Earlier this year, our state established another relief program for essential workers.  The Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund was created to help those who lost wages and faced out-of-pocket medical expenses and burial costs due to COVID-19. This program is still accepting applications.

Both programs will provide much needed assistance to our state's essential workers, who went above and beyond during a period of uncertainty. I am thrilled that my colleagues and I were able to include this necessary funding in the budget.

Click here to learn more about the Premium Pay Program and the Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund.

With that in mind, Connecticut has launched a reproductive rights telephone hotline and website to provide assistance to those seeking factual information on abortion and to connect them to reliable services and resources.

Individuals seeking abortion services can call 1-866-CTCHOICE (1-866-282-4642) or visit the website by clicking the button below to find providers available in their area, community services, and other useful resources.

Sincerely,

Kate Farrar
State Representative
she/her/hers