On the Record

April 5, 2023
As we get further into the 2023 legislative session, we are close to ending the process in which committees vote to send bills to the House and Senate floors. For my committees, Environment and Public Health, we have hit the deadline to report bills out of committee. The bills that we voted on here will go before the Speaker’s desk and potentially be placed on their respective chamber’s calendar before the full legislature will vote for any of these bills.

On March 24, the Environment Committee had its last 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 showcase the following bills as ones that I have sent to the full legislature for a vote:

  • H.B. No. 6664 AN ACT MANAGING WASTE AND CREATING A WASTE AUTHORITY.
  • S.B. No. 1143 AN ACT CONCERNING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE 
  •  S.B. No. 1145 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTOR SPECIFIC SUBTARGETS FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REGULATING EMISSIONS OF SMALL-OFF ROAD ENGINES.
  • S.B. No. 1147 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

S.B. No. 1147, An Act Concerning the Environmental Justice Program of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is a very important piece of legislation that has been put forward this session. This bill will recognize that some communities in Connecticut experience a far greater share of environmental and public health stressors than others, and provide DEEP, businesses, and communities with resources to rectify these longstanding issues to protect residents.
 
On March 27, the Public Health Committee also held its last meeting to vote on bills raised this session. The AGENDA for that meeting shows the bills that the committee voted on, and each bill has a record of how each member voted. I am proud to highlight the following bills as ones that I have sent forward to the full legislature for a vote.

S.B. No. 1067, An Act Concerning Adequate and Safe Health Care Staffing, works to address rampant staffing issues at our state’s hospitals and ensure that our nurses are protected and able to provide us all with quality health care service. H.B. No. 6913, An Act Concerning Opioids introduces new policies and regulations to combat the opioid pandemic within the state.
 
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.
Last week I had the pleasure to touch base with members of Friends of CT State Parks as they advocated for more staffing at our treasured (but often overlooked by state budgets) state parks. I’m looking forward to communicating their concerns to my colleagues.