Chris Poulos

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

This week, I was invited to attend the 85th Anniversary Celebration of the Connecticut Association for the Deaf (CAD), an organization that has spent 85 years advocating for Connecticut’s Deaf community. During the event, I was honored for my leadership and efforts in establishing the State Bureau for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, which will provide centralized services for Connecticut’s deaf residents. Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, Representative Jillian Gilchrest and Senators Matt Lesser and Saud Anwar were also honored. I look forward to continuing my partnership with CAD and my legislative colleagues as we work to implement the vital support and resources that the Bureau will oversee.

This week, I joined fellow members of the House Moderate Caucus in submitting a letter to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to encourage the rejection of a proposed $209 million rate increase by Yankee Gas, a subsidiary of Eversource Energy, as filed in Docket No. 24-12-01. This significant increase, if approved, would burden residential heating customers with a 43% jump in their monthly bills from November 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026, which equates to an average monthly increase of $46.74.

The current system is broken, and we need to look at reforming Connecticut’s energy delivery model to make it more affordable for ratepayers. The Moderate Caucus plans to propose a comprehensive bill during the 2025 legislative session – which starts January 8 and ends June 4 – to address conservation and energy generation aimed at reducing customer bills.

In the interim, I encourage those interested to file a public comment in the docket or participate in public comment hearings, which are tentatively scheduled for 2025 in February, March and April. Anyone who submits a comment in the docket needs to include the following: Docket Number, your name, your home address. Do not include any account numbers, phone numbers, other personally identifiable information or inappropriate language.

Comments filed in PURA proceedings become public record and will be posted in the public PURA docket database and available for public viewing. By submitting comments to PURA, the entirety of your comment will become part of the public record in the corresponding docket. Comments may be filed through the PURA web-filing system or via email to Pura.ExecutiveSecretary@ct.gov.

There also should be precedent for PURA to reject the Yankee Gas rate hike based on its decision this week to deny a proposed increase for Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG).

The new Southington Public Library building will be open to the public starting on Monday, December 2. I hope you will take some time in the coming weeks to visit and experience the beautiful new space featuring, two floors of modern amenities, including a teen room, study areas, and program rooms; natural light-filled interiors; flexible and modular spaces for community use; and more!

Let’s celebrate this monumental achievement together! An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 7 at 10 a.m. at the new building next door to the former library, at which officials will unveil the state-of-the-art, nearly 30,000-square-foot facility designed to inspire learning and connection in our community. Parking at this point of construction is limited so if you wish to attend, please plan accordingly.

This year’s Thanksgiving Day football game between the Southington Blue Knights and the Cheshire Rams is at Cheshire High School (525 South Main Street) and kicks off at 10 a.m. I hope you can join me in cheering on the Blue Knights!

Congratulations to the 2024 SHS Powder Puff team! Last Saturday, the Lady Knights were victorious over Amity High School, beating them 28-7 at Fontana Field.

There are three games remaining this season:

Tonight, 6 p.m. at Rocky Hill (50 Chapin Avenue, Rocky Hill)
Monday, 6 p.m. at Amity (25 Newton Road, Woodbridge)
Tuesday, 6 p.m. at home against Rocky Hill 

Let’s get out and support our Blue Knights during the lead up and at the big game on Thanksgiving Day!

I join all of Connecticut in mourning the loss of former Governor M. Jodi Rell, a trailblazer and dedicated leader. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched. Thank you, Governor Rell, for your service to our state. You will be deeply missed.