Chris Poulos

Support for local business came full circle with my visit to Wax Therapy Beauty Studio in Plantsville this week.  Early in the legislative session, Haydee Gajewski and her husband Mark reached out to me about licensing issues they were having with Department of Public Health.  Due to changes in requirements that came about during Covid, Haydee faced having to return to esthetician school at a potential cost of $10,000 for tuition. 
 
During the early part of the legislative session, I reached out to the House and Senate co-chairs of the Public Health Committee and advocated for a legislative fix to the licensing redundancy. We watched HB 6733, which grandfathers estheticians previously covered under a cosmetology license, pass out of committee, through both houses of the legislature, and ultimately to the Governor, who signed the bill into law.  
 
As a member of the Commerce Committee, I have pledged to support Southington’s small businesses and our residents who run them.  Meeting with Haydee and Mark and learning about their business reaffirmed this commitment. Thank you, Haydee and Mark, for hosting me! 

Please continue reading below for other noteworthy items, and thanks for taking the time to read them! 

Sales Tax Free Week

This year's Sales Tax Free Week begins Sunday, August 20th through Saturday, August 26th. You can find a full list of individual items that are included here: tinyurl.com/4ea8x448

Protections for the Elderly

During session, we successfully passed legislation that protects and supports individuals in the state who are in the twilight years of their life. Unfortunately, as the elderly population steadily grows, scam attempts against that community also increase. To help shield our older residents from being victimized, we passed PA 23-161.

Starting July 1, 2024, banks and credit unions will have the power to temporarily suspend or hold transactions involving an account of an adult over the age of 60 if there is a reasonable suspicion of financial exploitation for up to 45 days.

Below are some of the highlights of Aging bills we passed this year:

• Established a new coordinator of state services for people with dementia
• Strengthened patient's involvement in their homemaker care plans and streamlined the process for filing complaints
• Expanded eligibility for seniors to participate in adult day services (serving those with early onset dementia)
• Increased funding for elderly nutrition and Meals on Wheels
• Required homemaker companion companies to provide notice to their clients before they abruptly close and prohibited any increases in rates without at least 60-day notice

The aging population deserves to live comfortable and unburdened. The legislation that we passed will help make this possible.

Pension Reform Set to Save Millions

I proudly voted for legislation that strengthens the Connecticut Municipal Employees Retirement System (CMERS), which will save the 106 participating cities and towns like Southington about $740 million combined over the next 30 years! 

CMERS covers municipal public-sector employees including police officers, firefighters, boards of education, and public works employees, so it was important to make comprehensive reforms to protect their retirements in addition to our community finances.