A Community Conversation Invitation, Legislative Update, and More!

April 3, 2023


 
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Dear Neighbor,

Happy April! With the Legislative Session in full swing, I want to keep you informed on the work I'm doing on your behalf in Hartford. Additionally, I want to let you know what's happening in our own community. For your convenience, here are some helpful links to all the information included in this email: 
 
Event Recap: Rethinking Crisis Response Drills and Student Mental Health
Thank you to everyone who attended my event with Moms Demand Action, Rethinking Crisis Response Drills and Student Mental Health. We had a powerful and painful conversation about gun violence in our nation and communities. I was also grateful to speak about my proposal HB-6846, which seeks to reduce the frequency of crisis response drills in our schools and shift the responsibility primarily to the adults, ensure that our drills are trauma-informed and age-appropriate, prior notice is given so no child thinks there is a shooter in their school when there is not, allows parents to opt their child out, and explicitly prohibits live shooter simulations as well as the practice of having children practice crouching and huddling.

While schools will continue to have emergency response plans that all the adults will know and practice, under this proposal, children would only physically practice these plans once a year. This is because there is no compelling evidence that these repeated drills, involving children, make them safer. However, there is a lot of evidence that these drills contribute to our children’s sense that they are not safe at school as well as increases in depression (39%), stress and anxiety (42%), and physiological health problems (23%).

I was really grateful to former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher, and survivor, Abbey Clements for sharing her perspective as a teacher and survivor and for her support of this proposal. I’m also grateful for the support of CT Children’s Hospital, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America,  the National Association of Social Workers, the CT Education Association, and the CT Association of Public School Superintendents. This is a very difficult topic because we all want what is best for our children and in these uncertain and often-scary times, it isn't always apparent what that is. I hope you will reach out to me and share your thoughts and concerns. 

If you weren't able to join us on Wednesday, you can watch the presentation and discussion here.
 
Community Conversation Event
I want to invite you to join me this Friday, April 6 at 7:00 PM for a casual conversation to discuss the topics most important to you. The event will take place at South Bay (55 Miller Street), right across from the Fairfield Train Station. 
This is a great opportunity for me to hear from you about any ideas or concerns you may have. I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new people too! 

If you plan to attend or have questions regarding the event, please email Maliha Ahsan. 
 
Legislative Spotlight: An Act Addressing Gun Violence
On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee voted to approve legislation to reduce gun violence, including mass shootings, community violence, domestic violence, suicides, and accidental shootings.

The recent tragedy in Nashville is a stark reminder that the issue of gun violence continues to plague our country. While school shootings are horrific and far too frequent an event, they are a very small fraction of the overall gun violence that we experience in our nation. Fifty-seven percent of all gun-related deaths are suicides, the other leading causes of gun-related deaths are community gun violence playing out on our streets, and intimate partner gun violence. Here in CT, we are deeply committed to pursuing policies to combat every type of gun violence that impacts our communities and residents. 
This legislative session, the Legislature, along with the Governor, are pursuing H.B. No. 6667: An Act Addressing Gun Violence, which proposes several updates to our laws, including increasing the age to purchase all firearms to 21, strengthening our safe storage laws as well as our laws around ghost guns, open carry and penalties related to the state's ban on large-capacity magazines to make that ban enforceable. You can read more information about this bill by clicking here.
 
Walter Fitzgerald High School & Bridgeport 3rd Graders Collaboration
Walter Fitzgerald High School students teamed up with third graders at Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy in Bridgeport. They first met virtually during the winter and recently connected in person for a seed-sowing event supported by the Aspetuck Land Trust and Pollinator Pathway.
FPS teachers Chelsea Zantay and Trish Pytko said the students were thrilled to make personal connections and are looking forward to more collaborations in the future!
 
Arbor Day Preparation
With Arbor Day coming up on Friday, April 28, I want to share this factsheet on behalf of the Fairfield Forestry Committee. This is a time to appreciate the value of trees and motivate individuals to plant and look after them. 
There will also be an Earth Day/Healthy Kids Celebration on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Fairfield Y (841 Old Post Road). 
 
Bridgeport Public Schools Debate League's Women's History Debate at Pequot Library
On Friday, I had the pleasure of kicking off the Bridgeport Public Schools Debate League's Women's History Debate at Pequot Library. The all-female teams from Bridgeport middle and high schools argued resolutions stemming from Women's History Month. The middle school debate focused on whether there are "jobs for men" and "jobs for women," and the high school teams debated whether the glass ceiling still exists. The arguments were sophisticated and nuanced and these young women were incredibly inspiring. 
It was an honor to speak at their event and remind them how the skills they are honing in debate are essential to the health of our democracy.
 
I'm committed to ensuring your voice is heard. Please don't hesitate to call my office at (860) 240-8585 or email me if there's anything I can do for you. Be sure to follow @LeeperForFairfield on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Leeper
State Representative
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