Greetings Neighbor,
Happy Spring to you and your family. I hope you have been enjoying these longer and warmer days. Although the seasons may constantly change. I remain steadfast in my resolve to represent our community and our interests.
This past week has been very busy.
I was humbled with a medal from my U.S. Army command, I stood with the Governor and my colleagues to support the fight against the rising cost of living in Stamford, and I worked with both Democrats and Republicans to ease rising fuel costs in light of the conflict in Eastern Europe.
The issues that face our community, our state, and our country are not simple. However, I believe that by doing the hard work, by listening with compassion, and by treating people with dignity and respect we will make our community a more functional and just place to live:
Bellow is a more detailed overview of my work from the last few days:
HONORED FOR SERVICE IN THE US ARMY
Over the weekend I receive the Army Commendation Medal for my work in military journalism.
NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY
The Medal of Honor is the United States government's highest and most prestigious military decoration that may be awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Today, we celebrate and honor all of these recipients in Connecticut: https://bit.ly/3Le3OJ8
HOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY
| I joined Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, State Representative David Michel, and Caroline Vary from Rose Management, to highlight support for the Governor's bill, HB 5041, "An Act Concerning Home Energy Affordability.
This bill seeks to provide transparency for new homeowners and renters by requiring property listings to include a home energy label. We knowthat energy bills are often one of the highest costs that families have to face and low-income households disproportionally carry this burden.
I'm eager to work with Governor Lamont and Commissioner Dykes to ensure this bill gets passed so that we can protect and put more control in the hands of consumers so that energy costs are more affordable. |
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GAS TAX SAVINGS AND MORE!
The House passed an emergency-certification that will ease some of the financial burden on Connecticut residents and working families whose wallets and budgets have taken a hit due to rising gas prices and record-breaking inflation levels.
We suspended the 25-cent-per-gallon gas tax from April 1st through June 30th, are offering free bus rides through June 30th and created an additional sales tax-free week on clothing and shoes under $100 in April.
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Tips for filing a complaint:
Use our complaint portal HERE.
Identify the specific location of the gas station or business.
Identify the date and time of the offer or sale
Include documentation, especially receipts.
The annual inflation rate topped out at 7.9 percent in February, the highest it's been for a 12-month period since 1982. Today, I supported offering free bus service for our residents who do not drive but need transportation.
The tax-free week on clothing and shoes begins April 10, 2022 – April 16, 2022 is in addition to the annual tax-free week which occurs in August.
I am committed to even more robust tax relief for you and your family. Please stay tuned as we craft our budget adjustments in the next month or so. More tax relief is coming! |
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As always, please reach out to my office if you have questions or need assistance.
CAR THEFTS ARE DOWN IN THE STATE
New data is out that could help us as we continuously look to modernize and upgrade our criminal justice statutes – especially related to car thefts.
Preliminary data from a recent report suggests that car thefts in 2021 were down between 4% and 10% from the previous year. The report findings show that more than half of towns with municipal police departments likely saw a decrease in auto thefts compared to 2020.
Another interesting finding from the report is that over the past 15 years, juveniles – who have been publicly blamed for the slight uptick in car theft last year — have only made up around a third of those arrested for car thefts.
The report does highlight that car theft reductions could be due to the state reopening, cooperative efforts among local police departments and an increased awareness that people should lock cars and not leave their keys inside.
Car thefts was a hot button issue in the last legislative session and my colleagues and I worked hard to find possible solutions. Below are some of the measures that were implemented last session:
- One September 1, 2021, the Connecticut Judicial Branch began providing police departments with 24/7 access to juvenile arrest records to enhance investigation efforts and help prosecute repeat offenders.
- A first-offense juvenile rehabilitation program was created for first-time juvenile offenders where they had to attend 21 classes, work with social workers and psychologists to determine the psychological and social issues that may have caused them to commit a crime. The program helps address those issues to prevent the juvenile from re-offending.
- It became a felony for an adult to entice a minor to commit a crime, including car theft.
Connecticut Democrats continue to address the pandemic-driven uptick in certain criminal activity that all states have experienced by investing in police resources to solve motor vehicle crimes, providing more arrestee information to police and working with the courts to speed up the time it takes to process a case.
To learn more about the report released by the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, click here, password: r86$p=n2.
While much has been done to address the uptick in crime in our state, we still have more to do. It is important that we address these issues not just to lower the crime rate but to also find ways in which we can uplift our youth.
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UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
This session, we'll have the opportunity to continue addressing the fallout of COVID-19, make Connecticut more affordable for working families, and advance Connecticut's recovery.
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I want to hear from you! I want to know what issues are most concerning to you and what I can do to help.
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The state recently launched a retirement savings programs for Connecticut workers with no employer sponsored program. The My CT Savings Program is a result of legislation that was passed in 2016 to help the more than 600,000 workers save for retirement. Employers interested can sign their employees up for this program and employees have the option to select a plan or opt out. Click here to learn more.
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If you have any issues, concerns, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at 860-240-8585 if you ever need anything or by email at hubert.delany@cga.ct.gov
Sincerely,
Hubert Delany
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