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| Dear Friend,
This is my State Capitol update for the week of May 31.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, click the image below to hear about the issues contained in this newsletter. |
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Memorial Day weekend was another packed weekend in the Northwest Corner. My calendar alone, which included only a fraction of events, was filled with dedications (of a race tower at Lime Rock Park and a church steeple in Norfolk), parades (in Salisbury and Goshen), and picnics (in Sharon and Kent). Although the rain re-directed a couple of events indoors, there were opportunities in every town to honor our veterans for their service to our country and for the ongoing model of service to community that they provide. Throughout the events, there was an emphasis on peace as the goal, and the humility with which we acknowledge our failure to achieve it.
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| Dedication of Newly Repaired Steeple at Norfolk Congregational Church which a state grant enabled (the clock cake was as delicious as it looked). |
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| The Goshen Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. |
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| The Salisbury Memorial Day Parade was undaunted by a little rain! |
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| Sharon held a barbecue at the firehouse to honor the volunteer squad, recruit some new members, and admire the fleet. |
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| At the Kent Land Trust picnic, Nevan Carling of TradesUp and I had a great conversation about the preservation historic agricultural properties, and specifically how the state can do a better job of it. |
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If you weren’t able to get out and experience the glory of the natural world last weekend, you can look forward to Connecticut Trails Day this coming weekend on June 1 and 2. There are over 175 free events across the state, including Cornwall, Sharon, Kent and Washington. They are open to all and guided by people who are familiar with each site.
Events include hiking, biking, horseback riding, running, trail maintenance, kayaking, family walks, educational outings, bird watching, and more for people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. A full listing of events, organized by town and activity can be found at https://trailsday.org.
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Here’s a list of today’s topics:
- Innovation Clusters Program. Click here.
- CT's Paid Sick Day Law Expanded. Click here.
- Spectrum Digital Education Grants now available. Click here.
- Upcoming Events. Click here.
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This week heralded the creation of the Connecticut Innovation Clusters Program, a $100 million initiative to support the continued growth of critical sectors of the Connecticut economy, including biotechnology, financial technology, insurance technology, and advanced manufacturing in support of national defense.
Administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), this program will leverage private and public investment to support the application of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to accelerate innovation in high-growth clusters where Connecticut has shown competitive advantage.
The Innovation Clusters Program will prioritize funding for catalytic capital projects that contribute to the development of a campus-setting and cohesive sense of place that complement the state’s existing transit-oriented investments and incorporate a strong focus on workforce training, economic development, neighborhood vibrancy and regional stakeholder collaboration.
For more information on the program, click here. |
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This week Governor Lamont signed Public Act 24-8, ensuring more workers will have access to paid time off.
Connecticut’s existing paid sick days laws require employers with more than 50 employees that are mostly in specific retail and service occupations (such as food service workers, health care workers, and others) to provide their employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually.
This legislation signed into law this week expands this coverage to include more workers in two ways:
- Beginning January 1, 2025, these laws will apply to workers of nearly every occupation, not just those in retail and service jobs. (Seasonal employees and other certain temporary workers are exempt.)
- The threshold for coverage will be lowered in three phases, beginning with employers that have at least 25 employees on January 1, 2025; those with at least 11 employees beginning January 1, 2026; and those with at least one employee beginning January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the legislation broadens the definition of who qualifies as a family member when a worker wants to use their paid sick days to care for a loved one to also include those other than that person’s own minor children, as limited under the current law. It also expands the reasons why an employee may use paid sick leave to include instances related to the declaration of a public health emergency.
The legislation is Public Act 24-8, An Act Expanding Paid Sick Days in the State. |
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Charter has launched it Spectrum Digital Education Grant program for communities in its service area, including Kent and Washington. Grants will range from $2,400 to $50,000, and will support nonprofits whose work includes digital skills training, professional advancement opportunities, and technology and resources needed for education.
Nonprofit organizations can apply for a grant and learn more about eligibility requirements and selection criteria below. The application period opens on June 5, and closes on June 26. Grants are expected to be awarded in September.
For more information, see: https://corporate.charter.com/digital-education/grants |
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The Kent Singers will present our annual Summer Great Works Concert on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 3 pm at St. John's Church in New Milford, CT.
The concert will feature three pieces from the Baroque era: Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Coronation Anthems, and Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Magnificat in D Major; it will be conducted by music director James Knox Sutterfield and will feature professional soloists and orchestra.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, with children under 12 admitted free; tickets and further information are available at 860-619-8110 or at https://kentsingers.com/tickets/. |
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| It is my honor to represent our district. I look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised in this newsletter, or any other topics you think I should know about. You can email me at maria.horn@cga.ct.gov or call me at (860)-240-8585. Thanks for reading, and I wish you a safe weekend.
Click here to forward to forward this email to a friend. |
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| Sincerely,
Maria Horn
State Representative |
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