Hilda E. Santiago

On April 1, a number of resources that offered vital assistance to our most vulnerable community members came to an end or ended expanded eligibility.

Personal care attendants (PCAs) will have additional access to affordable health insurance after an agreement was reached to expand the application deadline for PCAs to apply for the first round of the new premium assistance benefit.

Tax filing season is upon us. As you prepare to file, I urge you to be mindful of potential scams. The IRS produces a list of "dirty dozen" tax scams.  While these scams can occur year-round, they tend to increase during this time of the year. It’s wise to stay on top of the latest list of common issues—and take some simple steps to stay safe from them.

Very soon, there will be changes for some of our most vulnerable individuals and families who are on Medicaid. Starting on April 1, the COVID-19 public health emergency protection will be coming to an end. Medicaid enrollees who were continuously covered will again have to provide proof of eligibility to continue getting benefits.

At a press conference in support of a bill for an English Language Learner Parent Bill of Rights that enumerates the rights of English language learner students and the responsibilities of local and regional boards of education to educate such students.

I am honored to have been sworn in to serve my 6th legislative term last week Wednesday to continue serving as your state representative. For this session, I have been re-appointed Assistant Deputy Speaker President Pro Tempore, and will serve on the legislature's Finance, Revenue and Bonding, Government Administration & Elections, Human Services Committees, and the Joint Committee on Legislative Management.

Great news! CareerConneCT is expanding its intake portal. The goal of CareerConneCT is to provide underemployed and unemployed Connecticut residents with resources and training necessary for the pursuit of a well-paying, high-quality career path. The program provides free job training, case management, supportive services, and employment assistance.

I am pleased to report that responsible budgeting and major structural changes made to pension and teachers' retirements plans are putting Connecticut on much more solid fiscal ground and saving taxpayers billions in debt payments.