Rachel Khanna

One of the most exciting parts of being your representative is the ability to submit bills for consideration.
 
I was thrilled to submit legislation to grow employment in education and health; to rebuild our transportation infrastructure; to protect our environment; and to care for our first responders.

Growing jobs:

CT suffers from a severe shortage of teaching and healthcare professionals. To address this need, I submitted HB 5441, a proposal to increase retention of college graduates in teaching and healthcare professions. The act would provide incentives to encourage young graduates to become teachers and/or healthcare professionals and to stay in the State to work in those fields once they graduate.

Transportation infrastructure:
 
To help accelerate the state’s investment in our aging highways, bridges, ports, railroads, water systems and renewable energy, I submitted HB 5390, a proposal to establish a Connecticut Infrastructure Bank. The Bank would leverage public funds with private capital to create a platform for investing in sustainable infrastructure, thereby attracting businesses, creating jobs and improving our quality of life.
 
Public health and environment:
 
To prevent air pollution and protect public health, I submitted HB 5862 which addresses the lack of enforcement of idling laws. Current CT law prevents idling of motor vehicles for more than three minutes. Enforcement is often lacking however because it is the responsibility of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. My bill would allow municipalities to enforce idling laws in order to improve compliance with the law.
 
In recognition of the risks that our firefighters take in the course of their work, I submitted HB 5857, an act for default presumption for line of duty coverage for cancer for firefighters. Recognizing that cancer is an occupational hazard of firefighting, the act would include occupational cancer under worker’s compensation.
 
In order to limit human and wildlife exposure to one of the most harmful classes of pesticides, I introduced HB 5220, which would restrict the use of neonicotinoids for non-agricultural purposes and restrict the use of certain seeds treated with pesticides that affect the environment and human health and pollinators.
 
I look forward to working to bring these bills to fruition.

The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce that the next round in the Equity Match Grant Program is open. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2023. The application will also be offered in Spanish.

The program offers grants of up to $10,000 to women-owned businesses in Connecticut that have been in business for two or more years and have revenues between $25K and $2M.  Since the program launched in late 2020, they have distributed 167 grants totaling over $1.5M to women-owned businesses in Connecticut. 

For additional information and more details on the program, please visit the WBDC website.

Saturday, January 21 - Winter Farmer's Market opens
The 2023 Winter Farmer’s Market will open starting Saturday, Jan. 21, at Sam Bridge Nursery on North Street. A group of 15 local farmers and artisan vendors from Connecticut and the surrounding area will be there. Local produce, meats, fresh seafood, bread, greens, and other items will all be for sale so people can get what they need for healthy eating while supporting local businesses and nearby vendors. You can find out more information online at www.sambridge.com.

Tuesday, January 24, 6pm - First Selectman and Board of Education’s Budget Presentations, Greenwich Town Hall Meeting 

Greenwich First Selectman, Fred Camillo, will be presenting his proposed 2023-24 municipal budget to the Board of Estimate and Taxation’s Budget Committee. This meeting is open to the public and anyone interested to attend in person in the Town Hall Meeting Room is invited. The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a presentation from Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones and Board of Education Chair Joe Kelly discussing the proposed Greenwich Public Schools’ budget.

These presentations will lead to a public hearing at 7 p.m. where people can speak to the BET Budget Committee about their priorities and what they want to support in the budget for the year ahead. Members of the public can attend and make their views heard. People who cannot attend in person can watch the presentations and the public hearing on Greenwich Community Television on their local cable systems as well as through GCTV. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@greenwichcommunitytelevisi9441) Written comments can be submitted until the end of the hearing on January 24^th here: https://www.greenwichct.gov/FormCenter/BET-Board-of-Estimate-Taxation-81/Board-of-Estimate-and-Taxation-Budget-Co-398 

Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 12:30 pm to 1:30 p.m - The Greenwich Sustainability Committee, in partnership with Coffee for Good, invites you to ‘A Farmer’s Perspective on Food & Climate Change’ with Steve Munno, Farm Manager at Massaro Community Farm. This informative discussion will be held on Tuesday, January 31st from 12:30 - 1:30 at Coffee for Good. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Wednesday, February 1, 7pm - YWCA Talk on Climate Justice, YWCA Greenwich - Climate change is dramatically impacting the resources that we all depend on and value, such as water, energy, air, agriculture, and ecosystems. Communities of color and other marginalized groups often have the highest exposure and the fewest resources to respond to the impacts of climate change. The panel will explore these climate challenges in Connecticut today, the disparate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, and offer solutions for a more equitable and just response to climate change in Connecticut. Sign up here.

Wednesday, February 1 - Greenwich Magnet Schools Deadline View more information here