Severe Cold Weather Protocol Extended Through Noon Saturday, Space Heater Safety

January 24, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this reaches you well.

The legislative session is in full swing in Hartford and I could not be more excited to be in Hartford fighting for the issues most important to Groton and Stonington.

I recently attended the first Environment Committee meeting of the year. I am lucky enough to be Vice Chair of the committee, making environmental protection one of my top priorities this session. I also had the opportunity to engage with the community at a wonderful event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday! Thank you to all who attended. On to the newsletter.

This week's topics include:

This Week in Pictures
Severe Weather Protocol Extended
Space Heater Safety
In Support: Strengthening Severe Weather Resilience
What Lies Ahead in 2025
DEEP Request for Community Resource Hubs
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Community Events and Notices

Have a great weekend,
Aundré

The Week in Pictures

I attended a beautiful MLK service this afternoon at St. John’s Christian Church in Groton. Thank you Pastor and First Lady Coleman for welcoming the community into your house of worship to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr this afternoon. We heard reflections from community members and powerful remarks from Groton City Police Chief Burton. Thank you Tamara Lanier for the invitation to attend this celebration each year and Phyllis Fletcher for laying the foundation for this annual event.

On Friday, I was excited to attend our first Environment Committee meeting of the year as Vice Chair! Honored to co-lead Speaker Ritter’s priority bill on climate action, HB 5004, alongside our new Chair, Rep. John-Michael Parker. I want to thank our former Vice Chair Christine Palm for boldly setting the stage for us with this measure and outgoing Chair Joe Gresko for his steadfast leadership of the committee over the past few years.

As State Rep. for Groton, Mystic, and Stonington, I’ll prioritize aquaculture, fisheries, plastics reduction, farm-to-school programming, food waste diversion, Environmental Justice, restoring Native American hunting and fishing rights, and protecting vulnerable native plants and wildlife in our forests, stream sides, and Long Island Sound!

I look forward to collaborating with both returning and new committee members to advance critical environmental priorities! Let’s get to work for a sustainable future!

Severe Weather Protocol Extended Through Saturday Afternoon

With Connecticut set to experience a period of brutally frigid conditions over the coming days, the state’s severe cold weather protocol will go into effect beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday and remain in effect through noon on Friday.

During this period, temperatures are expected to remain below freezing throughout the daytime hours, and overnight temperatures are anticipated to drop into the single digits and possibly below zero.

Anyone in need of shelter or a warming center is urged to call 2-1-1 to get connected to these services, or they can visit 211ct.org to read a list of available locations.

Space Heater Safety

The cold snap in Connecticut may lead some to use portable heaters in their homes to help stave off Jack Frost. Using these heaters comes with some risks, however, as they are the leading cause of home fires in January and February.

Here are some precautions you should take, according to FEMA, if you use portable heaters:

Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
Keep anything that can burn – i.e. bedding, clothing, mattresses, furniture, paper products -- at least three feet away from portable heaters.
Plug in portable heaters directly into outlets; do NOT plug them into extension cords or power strips.
Inspect and replace damaged cords, broken outlets, or loose connections.
Use portable heaters with automatic shutoffs so, if they tip over, they turn off.
Only use portable heaters approved by a recognized testing lab.
It's extremely important to stay warm, but it's also important to stay fire-safe this winter.

In Support: Strengthening Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events

I was proud to participate in Governor Lamont's press conference announcing a legislative proposal for 2025: Strengthening Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events. You can read the press release here. Click on the vide below to hear my comments.

What Lies Ahead in 2025

Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s ahead for the 2025 legislative session! With 101 Democrats and 49 Republicans in the CT House, we’re ready to work together to tackle important issues for our state.

Some upcoming dates to keep on your radar:

February 5: Governor’s budget presentation
June 4: Last day of session
July 1: New budget year begins

Let me know what matters most to you. Stay up-to-date and find more info HERE.

Reminder: DEEP Announces Request for Qualifications for Community Resource Hubs

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking proposals from qualified organizations to serve as DEEP Community Resource Hubs (Hubs) in environmental justice communities in Connecticut.

The purpose of the Community Resource Hubs will be to better connect Connecticut residents in environmental justice communities, including economically distressed communities, with DEEP services and programs that can benefit residents and their communities.

Community Resource Hubs, beginning with one or two pilots, will serve as localized access points for:

Facilitating community engagement in DEEP policy and program development.
Improving community access to state and federal grant programs.
Hosting educational and informational events related to DEEP’s mission areas, including clean energy, environmental quality, and climate resilience.
Supporting workforce development and business creation aligned with DEEP programs.

RFQ submissions are open until 5 p.m. on March 12, 2025. For more details, please click HERE.