Dominique Johnson

For the past 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being.

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) unanimously voted to begin a search for consultants to monitor the performance of the state's two electric distribution companies - Eversource and United Illuminating. This is an important step toward eventually shifting to performance-based regulation for the companies.

On Thursday, the Connecticut House of Representatives was in session. We voted on a few bills, including one of my major initiatives, The Green Jobs Corps bill. I have been working hard on this bill since I’ve been sworn in, introducing it to others for co-sponsorship, working on the language so we are creating a good bill that does good, working with committee leadership and stakeholders in the Executive branch to make it better and more collaborative, and more!

We are more than halfway through the regular session, and this is the time of year when legislative activity picks up in the Connecticut General Assembly.

Spring is officially here and with the warmer weather, many events are coming up that I would like to share with you – please scan down to learn more! I hope the recent holidays brought a renewed sense of joy and togetherness to all who celebrate. Thank you to everyone who came out to the March Constituent Coffee Hour and brought personal care items – we donated 8 bags and 1 box of items to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC).

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and I want you to be aware of the resources available to you in our community. If you need help, you can call (888) 999-5545 anytime to speak with a certified sexual assault crisis counselor in English. Dial (888) 568-8332 to speak with an expert in Spanish.

On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee voted to approve legislation to reduce gun violence, including mass shootings, community violence, domestic violence, suicides and accidental shootings. As a member of the Judiciary committee, I had an opportunity to listen and contribute to the discussion surrounding this bill. I ultimately voted yes because constituents have been reaching out to share that they supported the provisions of this bill since the beginning of session.

Thank you to all who came out to the Constituent Coffee Hour on Saturday. I loved talking with everyone and look forward to hosting more in the future.