Dear Neighbors,
This year’s legislative session has concluded. We passed new legislation that will shape our state for years to come. The headline from the session is the passage of a bipartisan budget, the second in two years.
We worked on policies that support small businesses, workforce development and make our state a place that we can proudly raise our families. I am committed to fighting for you to build a bright future for Connecticut.
I hope you find the enclosed information helpful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of service to you or your family. It is an honor to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Bipartisan Budget
This session we passed another bipartisan budget. The highlights from the budget include:
- No income, sales or other state tax increases
- Increases state aid for education over 2018 levels
- Restores funding to the Medicare Savings Program that helps low income elderly individuals and the disabled pay for the cost of medicine and health care premiums
- Restores partial funding to the Energy Efficiency Fund, juvenile justice programs and developmental services
- Maintains the “Rainy Day” Fund reserves at the highest level in over a decade
Minority Teacher Recruitment
This year we put into law many of the policies that the Minority Teacher Recruitment Task Force and State Department of Education (SDE) have worked hard to implement over that past few years. These policies are aimed at developing a thriving and diverse teacher workforce in our state. The State Department of Education will work to develop new alternative routes to certification for paraprofessionals, charter school teachers and veterans.
Pay Equity
Women still earn less than men. This inequity is perpetuated by the practice of asking for salary history during the hiring process, ensuring that women who were underpaid at their first job continue to be underpaid. This session we strengthened our pay equity laws by preventing employers from asking about wage history.
Reducing Prescription Drug Costs
Recognizing that prescription drug prices are the number one driver of rising healthcare costs, we passed legislation to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable by increasing transparency. This landmark legislation creates a mechanism by which drug rebate savings are reflected in your premiums.
Bump Stocks
This session we took another step to build on our state’s strong commitment to gun violence prevention by banning bump stocks. Known for its use in the gruesome shooting in Las Vegas last year, these devises dramatically increase a gun’s destructive power by increasing its rate of fire. We responded by making it a crime to own or sell a bump stock, and other rate of fire enhancements.
Environmental Conservation
This session I supported getting a constitutional amendment through the House of Representatives to protect public land and open space. The question will now be on the ballot this fall for you to decide whether or not to amend the state constitution.