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Dear neighbor,
 
On Friday, February 25, the Children and Public Health committees will hold a joint public hearing on important bills focused on children’s mental health. The proposed legislation seeks to expand support services to address childhood depression, anxiety and developmental delays, issues that have been pervasive for years but were made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
If you wish to submit testimony on these bills, Senate Bill 2 and House Bill No. 5001, you can submit written comments to phtestimony@cga.ct.gov or sign up to give remote testimony via Zoom at this link. The public hearing will be broadcast live on www.CT-N.com.

Best,
Saud

 
SNAP-Eligible Households To Receive Additional Emergency Food Benefits February 18
The Department of Social Services announced it has released $32.6 million in Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to more than 212,000 Connecticut households. The allocation will provide a minimum of $95 to all enrolled families and individuals. Households eligible for the maximum monthly SNAP benefit will receive $95; those not qualifying for the maximum monthly SNAP benefit will receive at least $95, with the average household receiving an estimated $155.

The COVID-19 pandemic public health and civic preparedness state of emergencies enable this funding to be received by the state. Without the continued emergency declaration, Connecticut would have to sacrifice this important financial support for those in need.
 
Senate Democrats Lead on Environmental Policy

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) has just released its 2021 Environmental Scorecard for state legislators (https://www.ctlcv.org/scorecard2021.html) and it shows that Senate Democrats at the head of the class when it comes to making and passing pro-environment public policy. The average Senate Democrat scored a 97.5 (A+), while the average Senate Republican scored a 70 (C-) and the average House Republican scored a 58.7 (F). The CTLCV says its biggest legislative wins last session included modernizing and expanding the Bottle Bill; restricting toxic PFAS in consumer packaging and firefighting foam; energy retrofits in affordable housing; workforce development programs for renewable energy; composting; and approving the Long Island Sound Blue Plan.
 
Senate Democrats Announce “Healthy Students, Healthy Schools” Initiative
Last week, I joined my colleagues in announcing the “Healthy Students, Healthy Schools” initiative, their top priority for the 2022 legislative session which will support youth mental health, increase health services in schools and expand preschool and childcare. These proposals will support children beyond traditional school systems and improve the well-being and safety of Connecticut’s youth, making sure every child is healthy, supported and engaged as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative includes the following points of focus:

  • Increasing funding for social workers in schools, ensuring students have the support in place to allow them to thrive academically in a safe environment and support their social-emotional health. Youth mental health has been a concern both during and before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than one in three students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness between 2009 and 2019.
  • In response to the tragic death of a Hartford student due to an overdose on fentanyl, all school nurses and teachers would be trained to use Naxolone and for the opioid overdose-reversing medication to be supplied to school districts; multiple school systems have announced Narcan training for teachers and nurses. This is the latest step in Connecticut’s expanding access and training to Narcan to save lives.
  • Mental health training for youth sports coaches and mental health resources for athletes will receive additional focus. In spring 2020, 1 in 10 college athletes reported depression making it difficult to function in daily life; in most cases, rates of mental health concerns were 150-250% higher than previously thought. Expanding services to youth sports coaches and leaders will ensure students receive the aid they need.
  • Shifting school start times to later in the day, fighting health problems seen in adolescents who do not get enough sleep including obesity and increased risk of anxiety and depression, as well as lower academic achievement. Shifting school times would allow more students the opportunity to get at least eight hours of sleep.
  • Greater transparency for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which does not have membership diversity reflecting the state’s population.
  • Increasing minority teacher recruitment; while almost half of all students in Connecticut are people of color, only 10 percent of teachers in the state are people of color. By increasing funding for minority teacher recruitment and retention, it is likely that all students’ academic achievement will improve, especially that of students of color.
  • In the 2020 fiscal year, school districts only received 71% of the money they were entitled to for special education reimbursement. By adjusting the grant program formula and adjusting the program’s cap, towns can make sure they receive the funding they need to ensure proper education for all students.
  • Expanding and increasing school-based health centers can meet students with aid where they are, with focuses on primary care, mental health, health promotion and dental services, better aiding children and their families by reducing lost time for parents who would otherwise need to leave work for their child’s medical care; preventing unnecessary emergency department visits; and improving academic and health outcomes for students.
 
It also includes these points of focus introduced in Senate Bill 2:
  • Extending access to child care and preschool, also ensuring staff in those programs are paid correctly. Parents without adequate child care lose on average $3,350 annually in lost earnings, reduced productivity and lost time looking for work, and close to two-thirds of parents with childcare access issues report losing time or focus at work. Additionally, only 20% of the country pays early childhood workers enough to cover basic needs; this vital line of work supports our students and society alike.
  • Increasing access to mentoring and after-school programs will significantly enhance access, knowledge and awareness of potential careers, interests and hobbies. More than 40% of students attending after-school programs improved their grades, improved their attendance and saw reduced school dropout rates and increased stability for parents and families.
  • Providing greater supports and resources for children and adolescents disconnected from school; investing in student re-engagement means investing in additional educational venues, enhancing outreach to disengaged students and launching back-to-school programs aiding students.
  • Universal pre-kindergarten at age 3 will provide key support to children, and correlates to future academic, social and vocational success. A study of a Boston preschool program found students in preschool have a 6% higher rate of graduation from high school and an 8% higher rate of attending college after graduation.
  • As social and emotional learning becomes more common, these concepts can also aid families. Children with highly involved parents see enhanced social functioning and fewer behavioral problems. Parental support of social and emotional learning correlates directly to positive outcomes in interpersonal processes and behavioral supports.
  • Joining PSYPACT, a 26-state compact, that will allow out-of-state psychologists the ability to conduct telehealth and in-person practice across state boundaries during a time of additional need.
 
The Connecticut Clean Air Act
Senate Democrats have introduced Senate Bill 4, “An Act Concerning The Connecticut Clean Air Act,” aiming to take action on cleaning Connecticut’s air and reducing the generation of greenhouse gas emissions. Connecticut is not meeting its goals for reducing greenhouse gases, and nearly 40% of all emissions come from the transportation sector. The CCA aims to clean our airs through the following initiatives:
  • Expanding electric vehicle rebate programs to include more electric vehicles on the market and adding bulk-buying benefits to municipalities and business fleets while streamlining bureaucratic processes for individuals in Environmental Justice communities.
  • Expanding installation and access to electric vehicle quick-charging stations in both existing “alternative fuel corridors” and more rural areas, making the purchase and use of electric vehicles more attractive to a broader range of consumers.
  • Purchasing electric school buses, potentially up to 5,000 over several years, using state bonding authority.
  • Adopting stronger emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, including one currently used in California where manufacturers must make a certain percentage of vehicles operating on alternative fuels.
  • Adding business incentives for electrifying heavy-duty truck fleets; while heavy duty trucks are estimated to represent just 3% of vehicles on California roads, they emit more than 50% of all nitrogen oxides and fine particle diesel pollution from all mobile sources in the state.
  • Modernizing traffic signals, making them more responsive to the nature of traffic flow and reducing time wasted idling in traffic.
 
Combatting Domestic Violence, Online Harassment and Gun Violence
Senate Democrats announced its efforts during the 2022 legislative session to fund efforts combatting domestic violence and online harassment, further supporting work done in past years to fight gun violence. These initiatives include work to do the following:
  • Amending the general statutes to fund 18 full-time child and family advocates at local non-profits assisting domestic violence victims, playing a vital role in getting children impacted by domestic violence the direct attention and aid they need. Currently, there is no state funding provided for those roles, and this comes as millions of children are exposed to adult domestic violence each year, the effects only worsened by the pandemic in limiting students’ abilities to receive aid.
  • Combatting online harassment through increased funding to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection – methods in preventing online harassment include requiring dating apps to disclose they do not vet participants and making it illegal for someone to solicit contact information from minors if that solicitation is sexually motivated.
  • Funding the efforts of the Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Advisory Committee, which works to coordinate funding and implementation of evidence-based, community-centric programs and strategies to reduce street-level gun violence in Connecticut.
 
Aiding Small Businesses In Online Sales
One of Senate Democrats’ top priorities this legislative session will be providing aid for small businesses in the pandemic economy, especially aiding small businesses in developing online sales platforms. Since 2018, online delivery sales for food have increased 600%; a spike in food deliveries coincided with the start of the pandemic. This proposal includes expanding the state’s debt-free community college program to include free online commerce courses for small businesses, like restaurants, to create or improve their online visibility to better compete in the market, whether they seek new customers or easier access for customers who prefer online delivery.
 
Protecting Personal Data Privacy
Senate Democrats seek to require companies to clearly cite what data is being collected, how it is being used and why in their privacy policies. Proposed legislation will include the right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared or sold by customers; the right to delete personal information held by businesses and service providers; the right to opt out of sale of personal information; opt-in consent for children under 16, with parent/guardian consent required for children under 13; and the right to non-discrimination in terms of price or service when a consumer exercises a privacy right under a bill. The legislation ensures transparency within companies and consumers, guaranteeing consumers know how much of their information is being collected and giving them the right to control what’s done with their data.
 
Protecting Connecticut Workers
The Labor Committee will consider several bills this year protecting Connecticut workers, including:
  • Requiring certain employers to provide advanced notice to employees of their work schedules
  • Requiring warehouse operators to disclose work quotas and work speed metrics to employees and government agencies, also banning “time off task” penalties impacting workers’ health and safety
  • Extending post-traumatic stress injury workers’ compensation claims coverage to all employees for rate instances where employees where they may witness or experience trauma leading to PTSI
  • Expanding paid sick leave for Connecticut employees in line with neighboring states. Currently, employers with 50+ employees must provide at least five days of sick leave annually to service workers; in Rhode Island, sick leave is required for any employer with 18 or more employees; in Maine, it’s 10; and in New York, it’s five.
  • Providing pandemic hero pay for essential frontline workers who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Addressing overpayment of some unemployment benefits by creating a pathway to waive repayment requirements for recipients overpaid through no fault of their own.

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South Windsor Main Street Closed At Bridge Over Podunk River
To allow for demolition of the existing bridge on Main Street over the Podunk River and construction of a new bridge, Main Street in South Windsor will be closed through the end of September 2022. A detour around the bridge work area will be established using Chapel Road to Route 5 to Burnham Street to King Street and Brook Street; access to all properties along the road will be maintained. Motorists are advised to drive slowly and use caution in the area during construction.
 
Small Business Support Open Hours At East Hartford Library
East Hartford’s Raymond Library will host a hybrid event to support small business leaders this Friday, February 25 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Raymond Library. The event will see Mayor Mike Walsh and partners with SCORE and the Small Business Administration provide support and help to both aspiring and established business owners. To join via zoom or make an in-person appointment, email mwittenzellner@easthartfordct.gov; in-person walk-ins are also welcome, though the event will be shifted to fully virtual in the event of inclement weather.
 
East Windsor Lion’s Club Holding Blood Drive This Thursday
On Thursday, February 24 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the East Windsor Town Hall Annex at 25 School Street, the East Windsor Lion’s Club will host a blood drive sponsored by the Red Cross. Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org with search term EW to schedule an appointment.

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If you have a direct question about legislation or an issue you’re seeking help with, please reach out to my office. My staff and I are dedicated to representing you and assisting you with any issues you may be experiencing. Please contact me at 860-240-0347 or by email at anwar@senatedems.ct.gov

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Senator Saud Anwar

Connecticut Senate Democrats
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