Bill Signing for Aging Legislation, Pride in the Park, and More!

June 7, 2024


 
View this email in your browser

Dear Neighbor,

Happy Friday! I was grateful to be a part of so many celebrations and end of school-year events this week. On Monday I was a guest judge at Ponus STEAM Academy for the STEAM day and on Tuesday I attended a bill signing with Governor Lamont for two legislative priorities that I worked very hard on this past session for our elders and families. On Wednesday I attended the Westport League of Women Voters annual meeting and on Thursday I was very honored to receive a Children’s Champion award by the CT Early Childhood Alliance. And earlier today I participated in a walk audit at Cranbury School before cheering on Wolfpit students in their annual Wolfpit Day! Please read below to learn more. 
HB 5001 is Signed into Law 
One of the best days of this term was the day our caucus priority elder care bill, HB 5001, was sent onto our Governor to sign. I was so proud to stand with the indomitable spirit that is our House Aging Chair Rep. Jane Garibay as our Governor signed HB 5001 and 5046 into law. As Caucus Co-Chair, it was an honor to work with her and the team to make this day possible. Bipartisan and bicameral teamwork made the dream work for our elders!
 
Our sweeping elder care bill and the Governor's nursing home bill put into action will:
  • Expedite Medicaid coverage for home-based care as an alternative to more costly nursing home care.
  • Prevent nursing homes from putting more than two patients in a single room.
  • Create a new registry system to connect patients to home care providers and created a dashboard to help navigate nursing home options.
  • Strengthen oversight of negligent nursing homes.
  • Require nursing homes and retirement communities to provide at least 60-90 days' notice of any fee increases and improved transparency around fees.

 
I am proud to lead for our communities on this important issue and provide our elders the quality care and dignity of aging where they and their families choose! Thank you to all involved, and especially to Speaker Ritter and Governor Lamont for prioritizing our elders this 2024 session!
Norwalk: Pride in the Park 

Happy Pride, Norwalk and Westport! Tomorrow, June 8, the Triangle Community Center will hold the 10th annual Pride in the Park. This year's event will feature activities for the whole family, a variety of food and gift vendors, and both local and nationally acclaimed entertainers. Click here for more information. 
Last Sunday, I was a guest on the For the People radio program. I discussed the importance of  advocating for some of the youngest and most marginalized members of our LGBTQ+ communities, and how we can do better in the future. Click here to learn more. 
Children's Champion Awards 
I was honored to be named a Children's Champion by the CT Early Childhood Alliance. Children are our future and building readers means we are building leaders. I will continue to fight on to build a great present and better future for them especially through expanding opportunities for early literacy for them and their families. Thank you to the Alliance for this honor, the students of Norwalk preschools and their teachers for the thoughtful cards and posters which will inspire me in my office up in Hartford, and to our local early childhood leaders, providers, and advocates for all you do to strengthen our families every day.
2024 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule
The City of Norwalk announced the following upcoming Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events in Fairfield County that are free for Norwalk residents to attend, including one in Norwalk. This year, the City of Norwalk’s HHW Day will be Saturday, August 31 from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM. This year’s Norwalk event will NOT be held at Norwalk High School. Instead, it will be held at Ponus Ridge Middle School on 20 Hunters Lane.

Please see the graphics below for additional locations in the area, as well as a list of materials that will and will not be collected. 
Connecticut's 2Gen Parent Academy - June 8th 
The 2024 2Gen Parent Academy will hold a free event tomorrow, June 8 at the theater of the Performing Arts, CREC Learning Corridor in Hartford. There will be a variety of workshops for all ages. Please click here to register.
ICYMI
The Ride for Our Vets Comes to Norwalk
The Ride for Our Vets event, a charity bike tour that raises funds to support the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC), will be held on June 15th starting at 7:00 AM in Veterans Memorial Park in Norwalk. There will be a celebration in the park at 11:00 AM. Hope to see you there!
Norwalk Stormwater Management Survey

The City of Norwalk and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency (RDA) are conducting a survey to help inform the community of their efforts to improve stormwater management, sustainability, and climate resilience.  The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Click here to take the survey. It will be open until June 30.
DOT Update 
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced the milling of pavement on I-95 between Exits 16 and 17 in Norwalk and Westport through Sunday, June 9 between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
 
Lane closures will be in effect at night to facilitate the milling operation. Milling of the roadway is necessary to identify areas needing repairs in the underlying concrete pavement. I-95 will be paved after identifying the locations of repairs. Three lanes of traffic will be maintained on I-95 after a traffic shift. Traffic will be maintained on I-95 during the whole operation.
 
Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions and concerns you may have - I can be reached at Dominique.Johnson@cga.ct.gov, or through my office phone - 860-240-8585.

Have a great weekend! 

Sincerely,

Dominique Johnson
State Representative
Website
Website
Email
Email
Facebook
Facebook

Forward to a friend | Unsubscribe from this list | Update subscription preferences