Jaime Foster

As spring fire season begins and more than a dozen brush fires have sparked around Connecticut in March so far, the East Windsor delegation of lawmakers including Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Representative Jaime Foster (D-East Windsor, Ellington, Vernon) and Representative Carol Hall (R-Enfield, East Windsor), First Selectman Jason Bowsza and members of the East Windsor community are calling for the temporary closure of East Windsor's Nextera solar project until residents' safety is secured.

It's been a productive few weeks here in Hartford. We've had two session days to address special education funding, funding for non-profits that have seen federal funding cuts, and voting on judicial nominations. Our committees are wrapping up with public hearings and committee meetings, getting ready to report bills to other committees. The Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee has a deadline of March 13 to report bills out of committee.

Make sure to get your REAL ID! The TSA just set a deadline for federal enforcement of REAL ID requirements.

A House Democratic priority bill aimed at improving access to affordable early childhood care is moving along in the legislature.

Last week, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CTDoAg) released an update on the Farm Recovery and Support Grant (FRS). Many farmers may have received an email from DoAg as the department works through administering the disaster supplemental funding bill that created the FRS Grant.

Congratulations to Sand Meadow Farm in Ellington for receiving a CT Department of Agriculture Farm Transition Grant of $5,000 to build a small, on-site farm store.

A Construction Industry Employment Fair is planned in Rocky Hill on March 21. Recruiting service members, veterans, & their families.

Avian Flu, also referred to as H5N1 or "bird flu," is a virus that is widespread in wild birds worldwide. It's causing outbreaks nationally in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers. While the human health risk is low, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is monitoring the situation. The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) CT Department of Agriculture (DoAg), and CT Department of Public Health (DPH) are monitoring bird flu in the state.