David Michel

While you stay up to date on everything happening in Hartford, please take a moment to go over a quick tutorial on how a bill becomes a law. Read below for a full step-by-step breakdown of that process.

Speaking of government, a panel of experts is working to promote racial equity within our government agencies. Keep reading to learn about some recommendations that will get us closer to that goal.

Here are the sections in today's email:

• Fighting for Racial Equity in State Government
• Stay Connected This Legislative Session!
• The Legislative Process
• Poverty Awareness Month
• Apply Now To Improve Food Access

The CT Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health shared its inaugural report and provided some recommendations for building racial equity including:

• Establishing leadership buy-in to set the tone for state agencies to advance racial equity work
• Building infrastructure to support racial equity work in government
• Requiring state agencies to develop equity plans to identify racial inequities which exist internally, and to outline steps to address them

The resources below will help you stay updated on crucial developments, events, proposed policies, and key discussions as they happen in Hartford. I urge you to please follow along and get involved.

Here's how you can stay connected and actively participate:  

• The non-partisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) recently released the 2024 Major Issues Report. This comprehensive document summarizes key issues the legislature could take up during the upcoming session. 
• You can view the Connecticut General Assembly's upcoming events by checking out its schedule on the CGA official website. 
• Follow CT-N for live coverage of committee meetings, as well as House and Senate floor debates. 
• You can register to monitor any bill's journey as it goes through the legislative process. By signing up, you can enter the bill number and receive real-time updates. Stay informed with email notifications whenever there's a change in the bill's progress. 
• Visit this website for information on how to testify on a bill at a public hearing.

Together, we can make a positive impact and ensure that our community's needs are represented.

Why was our Earned Income Tax Credit increase such a big deal in our fight against poverty?

By changing the rate from 30.5% to 40%, we were able to provide an additional $44.6 million in state tax credits to the approximately 211,000 low-income filers who receive the credit. Typically, more than 95% of filers who receive this credit are families with children. I pledge to continue to fight poverty in Stamford and across our state.

Organizations have until March 6 to apply for a grant that will increase food access in our community.

Eligible applicants include local food policy councils and/or food working groups, agricultural producers, food pantries, and farmers’ markets.