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I hope you had a good Presidents Day weekend. I was right back to work on Tuesday and though short, it was a busy week in Hartford. Following is a summary of what I've been working on. Also, I'll be participating in a legislative panel discussion in Greenwich on Tuesday evening, February 28, at 7 p.m. Please join us if you can. Details are below. As always, if you would like to contact me, please do so at the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
Thanks, and hope to see you very soon,
Rachel
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| Protecting Your Voting Rights |
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In November, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment permitting discussions to expand voting rights in Connecticut by allowing early voting. Did you know CT is one of only four states in the nation that requires everyone to vote solely on Election Day? This legislative session, we will finally be able to change that. The General Administration and Elections Committee (GAE), of which I am a member, will be considering and determining the details of how early voting will be implemented.
A second issue the Elections Committee is tackling is whether to amend the state constitution to allow for no-excuse absentee voting. In CT, voters can only use an absentee ballot if they qualify with a state-approved excuse. Only three states are more restrictive than CT when it comes to permissible excuses to vote absentee. And thirty-six states already allow no-excuse absentee voting.
Not everyone on the Elections committee favors protecting voting rights, and a few bills have been submitted that may have the effect of preventing voters from exercising their constitutional rights. This includes SB713, which would make people’s absentee ballots open to “public inspection.”
I stand committed to ensuring that voters can exercise their constitutional rights in the conduct of safe and secure elections with ease and without unnecessary barriers.
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| Bringing Health Care Costs Under Control |
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| This week, the governor announced two bills to reduce health care costs for Connecticut residents. The legislation focuses on reducing the costs of prescription drugs and eliminating hospital facility fees. All residents in our state should be able to access the high-quality health care that our state offers, and no one should be put in a position where they must postpone or delay care or be forced into medical debt. I look forward to voting in favor of these bills when they come to the floor of the General Assembly. |
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| Public Hearings for the Week of March 27 |
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| Legislative Preview Session Planned for February 28 |
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| Please join the Greenwich delegation for a legislative preview session on Tuesday, February 28, at 7 p.m., in the Greenwich Town Hall Meeting Room. |
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| Celebrate Poll Worker Appreciation Day with Film Screening |
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| Greenwich’s poll workers are being celebrated for all their hard work on March 2 with a ceremony in Central Middle School’s cafeteria and auditorium.
Without dedicated poll workers, elections would not be able to be run in the way we have grown accustomed to in Greenwich. Poll Worker Appreciation Day has been put together by Registrars of Voters Fred DeCaro and Mary Hegarty as a way to say thank you after all the work that was put into last year’s election, including a recount in the 36th District State Senate race where the Registrars and poll workers were a model for how to do a successful recount in a close race.
The appreciation day is taking place in conjunction with a screening of the new documentary, "No Time To Fail," which is about election workers during the 2020 election. There will be food at 6 p.m. and then the film will be screened at 7:30.
Find out more at www.greenwichct.gov |
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| PURA Says No to Aquarion's Request for Rate Hike |
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Recently, PURA announced its draft decision, rejecting Eversource-owned Aquarion's request for a rate hike. The rate hike would have increased rates by more than 30% over three years for 236,000 Aquarion customers across 72 towns and cities in Connecticut. The draft decision orders a decrease in rates by 0.192% or $379,365 for state customers.
To read more about it, click here.
Aquarion had until today to respond to the draft decision, and they have done so. To see Aquarion's response, click HERE. Oral arguments have been scheduled for March 3 and a final decision will be issued March 15.
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| Virtual Public Hearings Scheduled for I-95 Stamford Planning and Environment Linkages Study |
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation will host two virtual public meetings for the I-95 Stamford Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Study on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, from 12-1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, March 1, 2023, from 6:30-8 p.m. The meetings will be held virtually on Zoom.
CTDOT is performing a PEL Study, which began in early 2022, to research ways to reduce congestion on I-95 between Interchanges 7-9, as well as develop concepts to replace the I-95 bridge over Metro-North Railroad and Myrtle Avenue. The study area includes I-95 from West Avenue (Exit 6) to U.S. Route 106/Seaside Avenue area (Exit 9) and various diversion routes such as Route 1.
The study team will present the PEL Study process, discuss the existing conditions and data collection, and introduce the next steps for the study. The meeting will then conclude with a question-and-answer session, where attendees can ask questions and offer comments regarding the study. Zoom and telephone call-in details for each meeting can be found on the i95stamford.com/get-involved page under Upcoming Events. Here is the call-in information for each meeting:
2/28/2023
(312) 626-6799
Webinar ID: 830 4192 4245
Passcode: 959479
3/1/2023
(312) 626-6799
Webinar ID: 873 8358 7389
Passcode: 168689
Following the meeting, a recording of the meeting will be posted to the project website at i95stamford.com/library. Individuals with limited internet access may also request that study information be mailed to them by contacting Jonathan Dean, Project Manager (Jonathan.Dean@ct.gov; 203-993-6529). Please allow five business days for processing and delivery.
Members of the public are encouraged to sign up to receive email updates, provide study comments on the website, and follow the I-95 Stamford PEL Study on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Real-time audio translation will be provided in Spanish. American Sign Language interpretation and real-time audio translation in Haitian Creole translation can be provided for the meeting upon request. Please make any translation requests at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting by calling CTDOT at (860) 594-2109. Language assistance is provided at no cost to the public, and efforts will be made to respond to timely requests for assistance.
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