Jeff Currey

NEWS FOR THIS WEEK

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It's been another busy week here at the Capitol and today, the House met for a special session to discuss and vote on the budget. I will continue to update you on the details of the budget and how it effects East Hartford, South Windsor and Manchester in the upcoming week.

I am excited to announce that the Connecticut's Old State House has been awarded a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) for our Kid Governor program. The program, which was initiated last year, encourages students to better the world around them through civic participation. According to AASLH, the goal of the Leadership awards is to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans. By publicly recognizing superior and innovative achievements, the Leadership in History Awards serve as an inspiration to others in the field.

On Wednesday, May 11, I attended a meeting of the Special Education Funding Working Group by the Regional Educational Service Center (RESC), which I was appointed to by the Speaker of the House last December. This group studies the funding provided to RESC's for the provision of special education and has been tasked with making recommendations regarding how additional special education funding can be used more efficiently and in ways that expand the provision of special education services, such as transportation, training and therapeutic services.

On Thursday, May 12, I, along with the East Hartford Chief of Police, attended the Sentencing Commission's Meeting on the 2016 Alvin Penn report, which reveals data on police agencies and who they pull over for a traffic stop. First enacted in 1999, Connecticut's anti-racial profiling law, the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act, prohibits any law enforcement agency from stopping, detaining, or searching any motorist when the stop is motivated solely by considerations of the race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation. To view the report, click here.

Also on Thursday, East Hartford Board of Education member Val Scheer and I attended the Woodland School talent show in East Hartford. Woodland School welcomes students kindergarten through Grade 12 from all over the state to take part in it's Therapeutic Education Program. It's program offers 17 academic structured nurturing classes that encourage student success. Congratulations to these students for putting on a wonderful talent show!

While watching the Woodland School students, South Windsor celebrated the grand opening of Integrated Rehabilitation Services' newest location with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Integrated Rehabilitation Services is known to provide the most advanced and progressive techniques available in physical therapy and wellness.The newest South Windsor site is located at 15 Morgan Farms Drive.For more information about Integrated Rehabilitation Services, please visit their website at www.IntegRehab.com or call (860) 644-2006.

The East Hartford Art League along with the Fine Arts Commission held their annual Spring Art Fest last Saturday, May 7. Out of 16 participants, Neil FeBreve won the Currey Family Award with his oil on canvas piece, "Hartford Drive-In." Congratulations Neil and thank you to Holly Reed and the Commission for ensuring the arts are alive within our communities!

I would also like to take a moment to congratulate Manchester-native, Seth Devalve, for being drafted by the Cleveland Browns after graduating from Princeton. Devalve is the only Manchester High School graduate to be drafted into the NFL and I wish him the best of luck with his future career! Here Devlave(left) stands with Manchester teacher and resident, Mike Pohl (right.)

BILLS PASSED:

SB 20 -This bill will reduce the prohibited ratio of alcohol in the blood from 1 percent to .08 percent for those carrying a firearm. This bill is consistent with the current statutes on DUI for the operation of a vehicle.

SB 67 - This bill will help delineate of advanced practice registered nurses (APRN's) in caring for patients, ensuring continuity of care. It will greatly enhance APRN's ability to practice to serve properly, giving patients immediate service when needed.

SB 379 - In an effort to strengthen diversity in our teacher workforce, we passed this law which is aimed at attracting more minority teachers for our students and improving education for all. The bill establishes the Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council within the Department of Education and requires the Department of Education to conduct an annual survey of students regarding the effectiveness of minority teacher recruitment programs in the state.

SB 303 - To help attract new businesses to Connecticut, we passed this bill, which establishes the Entrepreneur Learners Permit Program. This program allows first time business owners to receive reimbursement for the initial costs associated with starting up new information services, biotechnology and green technology businesses. The program, which takes effect July 1, will be overseen by Connecticut Innovations.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS:
Tuesday:
Office of the State Comptroller: Public Forum on the Rising Costs of Prescription Drugs, 2E, 9 a.m.
Office of School Construction & Grants, Educational and Informational Forum, 1A, 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday:
Art at the Capitol Reception, LOB 1^st floor Atrium, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday:
Commission on Children: 2GEN Interagency Working Group Meeting, 1E, 8:30 a.m.

Friday:
MAPOC: Medical Assistance Program Oversight Council Meeting, 1E, 9:30 a.m.