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My thoughts are with the victims' families, the survivors of that horrible day, the responding law enforcement and the entire Newtown and Connecticut community. We must remain committed to ending gun violence. Though time has passed, you will never be forgotten.
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto, 27
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47
Rachel D’Avino, 29 |
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Appointment to Vice Chair of
Education Committee |
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I am excited to share that I have been appointed Vice Chair of the Education Committee. I'm very grateful to Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, and I am humbled by their trust and confidence in appointing me to this new leadership position.
Having previously served on Fairfield’s Board of Education, worked as a school administrator, and in the Performance Office with the State Department of Education, and as the mother of two boys who attend our Fairfield public schools – I am very eager to further my work on the Education Committee in this new role. This also includes my ongoing work as Co-Chair of the Indoor Air Quality Working Group.
In this upcoming legislative session, I look forward to working with my colleagues to increase the health and quality of our schools, enhance outcomes for our students, and expand access to educational opportunities for all students.
The Education Committee has cognizance over all matters relating to the Department of Education; local and regional boards of education and the collective bargaining covering teachers and professional employees of such boards; vocational rehabilitation; the Commission on the Arts; and libraries, museums, and historical and cultural associations. |
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| Great news! CareerConneCT is expanding its intake portal. The goal of CareerConneCT is to provide underemployed and unemployed Connecticut residents with resources and training necessary for the pursuit of a well-paying, high-quality career path. The program provides free job training, case management, supportive services, and employment assistance. |
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| Interested jobseekers should enroll through an online intake portal. Once enrolled, participants will be connected to reskilling, upskilling, or next-skilling opportunities in various in demand fields, such as manufacturing, information technology, health care, infrastructure and clean energy.
Once registered in the portal, participants will complete a brief skills inventory and then receive a Career Coach who will help them access training that meets their skills and interests. Participants also can explore career paths, learning opportunities and available jobs.
Click here to visit the portal. |
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As we prepare to ring in the new year and welcome the start of 2023, a number of laws passed will take effect when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st!
These laws mark the tireless work put in by my colleagues and me throughout the 2021 and 2022 Legislative Sessions to address your concerns and make necessary changes in Hartford. |
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| Here are a few of the laws taking effect January 1st:
Cannabis Possession Charges Cleared:
- Specified Connecticut residents convicted of cannabis possession will have their records automatically cleared and other specified charges can be petitioned for erasure at the start of the new year
- Click here and scroll to the bottom of page 29 for a breakdown table on qualifying erasures
- Announced Delay: The Governor's Office recently announced that some erasures would be delayed until, "…the second half of 2023." Click here to learn more
- Numerous state agencies must also provide recommendations by January 1st on how to prevent cannabis use by individuals under 21and address the impacts of cannabis legalization on youth
- These provisions were included in PA 21-1 – Passed in 2021 – that legalized the recreational adult-use of cannabis
Clean Slate Law:
- Nearly 280,000 more people will be eligible to have their criminal records erased on January 1st, and the Board of Pardons and Paroles must provide written documentation if they deny an application for a person's qualified pardon
- Announced Delay: As shared above, the Governor's announced delay will also affect this law's provisions
- These provisions were included in PA 21-32 – Passed in 2021 – known as the Clean Slate Law
The Bottle Bill:
- Will expand the types of bottles and cans accepted in the 5-cent return program to now include:
- Teas
- Hard Seltzers
- Ciders
- Energy Drinks
- Coffee
- This provision was included in PA 21-58 – Passed in 2021 – which makes tiered adjustments to the state's bottle redemption program through January 2024
Lead Poisoning Safety:
- Will take a tiered approach strengthening Connecticut's lead poisoning testing standards to align with federal standards and will lower the threshold for youth testing levels that trigger parental notification or home inspection
- The Governor's Office reported that in 2020, over 1,000 Connecticut Children tested at high enough lead levels to trigger the federal standard for a home inspection
- These provisions were included in PA 22-49 – Passed in 2022 – and will incrementally lower the qualifying testing levels through January 2025
Breast & Ovarian Cancer Screening Coverage:
- Certain commercial health insurance policies will be required to cover:
- Mammograms
- Ultrasounds
- MRIs for breast screenings
- Breast biopsies
- Certain prophylactic mastectomies
- Breast reconstruction surgery
- BRCA 1 and 2 testing
- Routine ovarian cancer screenings
- These provisions were included in PA 22-90 – Passed in 2022 – which expanded required insurance coverage from previous legislative efforts
These are just a few of the laws and provisions going into effect when we celebrate the new year. The full list of laws taking effect on January 1st can be accessed by clicking here.
As you look over the new laws taking effect in 2023, I want to remind you that there is always an opportunity to have your voice heard, especially with the upcoming General Session convening on January 4th. Please make sure to stay active in the legislative processes and let me know what you would like to see in both our community and throughout Connecticut.
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Our state, like others, has seen a sharp increase in the number of refugee families who have resettled here particularly from Afghanistan and Ukraine. I was proud to work with my colleagues to secure additional financial assistance for our state's refugee resettlement agencies as a part of the 2022 legislative session. During this season of giving, I hope we can join together to support families as they rebuild their lives in Connecticut.
Please find information below to consider making a donation and let me know if I can help put you in touch with someone to arrange.
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Congratulations North Stratfield
Elementary School |
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With the aspirations of becoming a more sustainable community, the North Stratfield Elementary School Green Team chaired by Courtney Radosavljevic and Amanda Ingrassia, have completed and fulfilled the CT Green LEAF Schools certification.
They are paving the way for their school to reduce environmental impact and cost, improve the health and wellness of their students and staff, and provide effective environmental and sustainability education. |
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| I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Leeper
State Representative
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