It's been an eventful week as the House passed important bills affecting seniors, children, Puerto Ricans, and so much more. I'll break down these bills are aimed at making Windham and the rest of our state a better and safer place to live.
The executive manager from Gates Nissan joined my weekly radio show to share how tariffs are hurting the auto industry. Please keep scrolling to hear our conversation!
Finally, the rates are lower on one part of you electricity bill starting this month. I'll explain what kind of savings you can expect and why Eversource made that change.
Here are the sections in today's email:
Strengthening Healthcare for Seniors
Addressing Homelessness Across CT
CT-Puerto Rico Trade Commission
Child Social Media Protection
Let's Talk About It: Tariffs Hurt Auto Industry
Lower Rate on Eversource Bill
Kickball Champions!
Strengthening Healthcare for Seniors
The House voted to strengthen healthcare for Connecticut's seniors! I proudly co-sponsored this legislation, which reflects our ongoing efforts to support and care for our aging population.
Requires nursing homes to consider proximity to family members in any transfer of a resident
Enhances safety with improved background checks for all nursing home employees
Establishes a task force to address the specific needs of seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia.
The bill now moves to the Senate. If it passes there and Governor Lamont signs it into law, the legislation would take effect in January.
Addressing Homelessness Across CT
I joined my House colleagues in advancing legislation to address homelessness head-on. House Bill 6894 establishes an interagency council on homelessness aimed at improving communication and collaboration on this sensitive issue.
Above: Holy Family Home & Shelter, which is one of three shelters in town.
This council will bring together representatives from state agencies, nonprofits, public housing authorities, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness to ensure that our state agencies are coordinating and developing long-term solutions.
CT-Puerto Rico Trade Commission
We also unanimously passed a bill establishing a new trade agreement between Connecticut and Puerto Rico. This legislation is vital in part because Connecticut is home to nearly 300,000 Puerto Ricans, including a significant number in Willimantic, which is the highest concentration per capita of any state in the U.S.
House Bill 5008 will create 23-member commission with the following goals:
Advance bilateral trade and investment with Puerto Rico
Promote business and academic exchanges
Encourage mutual economic support and infrastructure investment
Initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest
Local businesses and larger companies operating in Connecticut and Puerto Rico have shared broad support for the bill. It is a powerful opportunity to strengthen our trades and manufacturing sector. By building direct partnerships with Puerto Rico, we can expand skilled workforce pipelines, increase the flow of goods and materials, and open new markets for Connecticut-made products. This collaboration will drive innovation, economic growth, and good-paying jobs for both regions. Additionally, a new trade commission will help Connecticut address jobs that we traditionally struggle to fill. It only benefits our state to attract trained skilled labor that can work immediately and boost our economy. House Bill 5008 now moves to the Senate, which has until June 4 to pass the legislation before Governor Lamont can sign it into law.
This measure aims to help children the moment they try to join a social media platform, and that’s because it would require parental consent for anyone under the age of 18 to open an account. The bill also tries to regulate content saying social media companies would not be able to target minors with content or with push notifications between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Connecticut took a major step forward as a national leader with this new effort to reign in big tech’s predatory practices that are reinforcing addictive and harmful choices in minors.
Let's Talk About It: Tariffs Hurt Auto Industry
Tariffs from the federal government are negatively affecting many sectors of our economy including the auto industry. My co-host and I spoke with Denny Gates of Gates Nissan on “Let’s Talk About It,” and he provided great insight on the uncertainty tariffs are adding to the supply chain process. Gates has years of experience in the auto industry, selling cars at Gates Nissan in North Windham.
Gates also discussed the strength of the auto industry in Connecticut, why used cars remain expensive, and his concerns about long wait times for replacement parts in the U.S.
We also talked about Gates’ charitable work in our community – supporting local little league teams and the Make a Wish program as a board member and fundraiser. Participating in team sports, local charities, and similar programs are a great way to foster community and make Connecticut a better place to live for all of us. Please click on the video below to listen to our full conversation.
Denny Gates from Gates Nissan shares how tariffs are hurting businesses in the auto industry.
Lower Rate on Eversource Bill
You may notice that you’re spending a little less on your Eversource bill. Rates within the Public Benefits portion of the bill are going down due to an annual adjustment from now through April 30, 2026. The typical residential customer using 700 kWh per month can expect to see a net decrease of $13.50 per month. State-mandated power purchase agreements, which include Millstone and Seabrook nuclear power plants, are the largest driver of the decrease.
It's important to remember that on average, Connecticut residential customers use about 35% more electricity during the summer months. Even as rates decrease, the increase in summer usage can still lead to higher bills.
Kickball Champions!
Congratulations to House Democrats for winning the CGA Kickball Classic for the first time! It was a great atmosphere at Dunkin' Park as my colleagues worked together to come out on top by a score of 4-1! All proceeds from the game benefit Connecticut Foodshare.
Please watch the video below to see the final play of the game and the celebration!
