We have begun the process in which committees vote to send bills to the House and Senate floors. On March 10, the Environment Committee had a meeting to vote on some of the bills raised this session. The AGENDA for that meeting shows the bills we voted on, and each bill has a record of who voted yes and no on each. I am proud to say I voted to send the following bills to the full legislature for a vote:
- S.B. No. 961 AN ACT CONCERNING CARBON-FREE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND ESTABLISHING OTHER SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
- S.B. No. 962 AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF CERTAIN RODENTICIDES.
- S.B. No. 963 AN ACT CONCERNING NEONICOTINOIDS FOR NONAGRICULTURAL USE.
- S.B. No. 298 AN ACT CONCERNING PERMITTING FOR LOCAL BUTCHER SHOPS TO PROCESS FARMER-OWNED LIVESTOCK.
- H.B. No. 6397 AN ACT CONCERNING ZERO-CARBON EMISSIONS.
H.B. No. 6397 is one of my signature pieces of legislation. Among other things, it declares a climate emergency and seeks to create policies and accountability for reaching the state’s carbon-reduction goals. My colleague Senator Harding (R) offered an amendment to the bill that would restrict the governor’s ability to enact executive orders related to climate change as a public health crisis. Although the governor has been a staunch ally in protecting our environment, the purpose of this bill is accountability, and in the spirit of bipartisanship - and because we have sufficient legislative guardrails against the abuses of executive authority - I supported this amendment to the bill. The bill was voted out of committee with broad bipartisan support, where it now goes to the Speaker’s desk before the House will vote on it later in the session.
Also on March 10, the Public Health Committee had a meeting to send bills to the full legislature for a vote. The AGENDA for that meeting, lists the bills that we voted on, along with a record of how each committee member voted. I am proud to have voted to advance the following bills:
- S.B. No. 1075 AN ACT CONCERNING HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE.
- S.B. No. 1076 AN ACT CONCERNING AID IN DYING FOR TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS.
S.B. No. 1076, An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients, was another one of my key issues in this session. I know that this issue has both passionate supporters and opponents, so I wanted to highlight some key facts about this bill. Currently, 10 states have a version of this bill enacted. Comparatively, this bill introduced this session is stricter than other states. Therefore, this bill has tighter requirements on who can pursue this option, including that the person must be 21 or older, must be a current resident of the state for at least a year, and is required to meet with multiple physicians before being prescribed the necessary medication to end one’s life. Furthermore, through every step of the process, patients will have the chance to withdraw their request.
On March 20, the Public Health Committee had a meeting again to send bills to the full legislature for a vote. Here’s the AGENDA. I am proud to have voted to advance the following bills to the floor:
- S.B. No. 171 AN ACT ALLOWING PHARMACISTS TO PRESCRIBE BIRTH CONTROL MEDICATION.
- S.B. No. 986 AN ACT PROTECTING MATERNAL HEALTH.
- H.B. No. 5197 AN ACT ALLOWING EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION TO BE SOLD AND DISPENSED VIA VENDING MACHINES LOCATED AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
- H.B. No. 6669 AN ACT PROTECTING PATIENTS AND PROHIBITING UNNECESSARY HEALTH CARE COSTS.
- H.B. No. 6727 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEAD POISONING PREVENTION WORKING GROUP.
I voted for these bills because I believe firmly in protecting reproductive rights and lowering the cost of healthcare.
I appreciate any and all advocates who reached out in support or opposition of any of the legislation that I’ve voted on, and I take everyone’s thoughts and opinions seriously when considering how to vote. |
