Crisis Response Drill Bill, Teacher Appreciation, and more

May 12, 2023


 
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Dear Neighbor,

Happy Friday! After another busy week of the Connecticut General Assembly's legislative session, I have some updates on our work. For your convenience, here are some helpful links to all the information included in this email:

 
Legislative Spotlight: An Act Concerning the Implementation of Crisis Response Drills in Public Schools
HB 6846: An Act Implementing Crisis Response Drills in Schools passed the House Tuesday 139-9. I’m really proud to have been able to work collaboratively to get this legislation to a place where it earned such broad bipartisan support. But most of all, I’m thrilled that we in the House have taken a meaningful step to keep our children safe and protect their overall well-being. With the passage of this legislation, it will shift the bulk of the emergency response preparation from our children on to the adults in our schools. I'm proud to have been able to champion this initiative and get it over the finish line in the House - next in the process is passage in the Senate.
 
Constitutional Amendment for No-Excuse Absentee Voting
The House of Representative passed HJ 1 on Wednesday, which means you will get to decide if we amend the state constitution to allow no-excuse absentee voting.
As I shared last week, the Legislature voted to implement two weeks of early voting. This week we voted to allow another ballot resolution in 2024 on no-excuse absentee voting. It's been a privilege to work to expand voter access and, therefore, citzens's ability to make their voices heard in our democratic process
 
Bills That Passed

Some of the other critical bills that passed this week include:

  • HB6699: The evolving cannabis market needs evolving regulations. That's why we approved HB 6699.
  • HB6638: In HB6638, we modernize and improve consistency in CT's discrimination statutes.
  • HB6642: The House just approved HB 6642 because schools need help keeping kids safe and navigating federal Title IX.
  • HB6877: HB 6877 strengthens the process and execution of risk protection orders (RPOs) to keep weapons out of the hands of those at imminent risk of injuring themselves or someone else.
  • HB6823:Putting elections in the hands of the Constitutional office that manages elections makes sense. This bill designates the Secretary of the State as the state official responsible for certifying presidential electors.
  • HB6891: A small but mighty change for taxpayers to allow charge card, debit card or electronic payment of municipal taxes or penalties.
  • HJ No. 34: From 1647 to 1697, several individuals in Connecticut, primarily women, were hanged for suspicions of witchcraft. Similar to the Salem trials, the accusations against the victims were often unfounded and based in misogyny. With House Joint Resolution 34, we recognize the trauma caused by the witchcraft trials in the CT colonial courts and absolve those accused and convicted of "witchcraft" and "familiarities with the devil."
  • HB6672: Endometriosis is an under-studied disease impacting 1-in-10 women in CT. The House passed HB6672 to create the Endometriosis Data and Biorepository Program and associated endometriosis research lab.
  • HB6590: This bill makes it easier for families to get access to the childcare they need.
 
 
Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I want to offer my sincere gratitude to all the fantastic teachers in Fairfield and across the state. As the Vice-Chair of the Education Committee, I've spent this session committed to improving our education system for both children and teachers. We have been working tirelessly to address the teacher shortage crisis and to elevate the profession because well-supported teachers are best able to support, educate, and inspire our students. Thank you for everything you do for our children every day.
 
Happy Mother's Day!
I want to close this week by wishing a happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Being a mother is one of the most challenging and rewarding things a person can do, and I hope you take a day to celebrate yourself or the mother in your life! I want to also recognize that Mother's Day can also be a day when you might be missing a loved one and I just want to share with you peace and love through that grief and loss.
 
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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