Chris Poulos

The 2024 legislative session proved that bipartisanship and fiscal responsibility are at the core of the Connecticut General Assembly, and as your State Representative, I am proud of the role that I played in crafting sensible laws for our state. My priority this session was simple: Address the needs of the average Connecticut resident. Responding to the concerns of seniors was paramount, and we proudly passed legislation to improve their quality of life. We continued historic levels of funding for public education, expanded incentives for small businesses and job growth, addressed public safety concerns, and provided long overdue benefits for our Veterans.
 
I look forward to sharing more details of the legislative session in my upcoming weekly updates.

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

After almost two years of collaboration and advocacy, I was extremely proud that through the passage of HB 5523, Connecticut will establish a Bureau of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Services charged with coordinating information, resources, assistance, and benefits for state residents. It has been an honor to work with the state's Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Community, including Southington resident and Connecticut Association of the Deaf President Luisa Gasco-Soboleski.

On the House floor, I shared my story of advocacy for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community with my colleagues, urging them to support the proposal. Click on the video below to hear my remarks during the floor debate.

A special shout out and thank you to Southington's Commission for Persons with Disabilities for sending a statement of support for this legislation to the Speaker of the House, Majority and Minority Leaders last month.

I welcomed Cristiano Almeida, Connecticut's Kid Governor and student at Oshana Elementary School, to the House this week. He was joined by his cabinet and their teachers. In the House chamber, I introduced these young public servants, shared Cristiano's platform, and presented him with an Official State Citation on behalf of the Southington Delegation. I was truly impressed with the students and commented that Connecticut will be in good hands with these future legislators.

A special Teacher Appreciation Week shout out goes to Cristiano's teacher, Sandra Chavez, along with all Southington teachers for all they do for our children.

This week, I was delighted to attend the First Congregational Church of Southington’s Sunday service celebrating its 300th anniversary. Pastor Ron’s sermon and the music featured by the various church choirs was uplifting. On Monday evening, while I was at the Capitol, Councilwoman Val DePaolo presented a proclamation that we requested from Governor Lamont to commemorate this momentous milestone. I want to personally offer my gratitude for all of the First Congregational Church of Southington’s contributions to the town during the past three centuries. Through their mission of good will and justice, the church and its parishioners have made Southington a better place, and I couldn’t be prouder to represent them in Hartford.

In the final hours of the legislative session, my daughter Molly’s brief visit to the Capitol was a highlight and welcome break from floor debates and voting. I had the privilege of proudly introducing her to fellow legislators in the House chamber (click here to watch) before sending her back to Southington to do her homework.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing plans to replace and upgrade all existing pedestrian and school crossing signs at uncontrolled intersections in the Greater Hartford area, including Southington.

From 2018 to 2022, 15% of all serious injury crashes involved pedestrians. Many of the pedestrian and school crossing signs are close to the end of their usable life. Replacing these signs with new, more retroreflective signs is critical for visibility and safety of pedestrians on state roadways. The project is scheduled to begin construction in Spring 2025.

Here’s to the moms!
Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms out there.

The public is invited to attend a Pavilion Dedication Ceremony in honor of the late Joseph J. LaPorte on Wednesday, June 12 at 5:30 p.m. Please meet at the pavilion located on the Southington Drive-In property at 995 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike.