Posted on July 14, 2021
Hope you are having a nice and ‘normal’ summer. In Connecticut and around the country, the pandemic is under control, and life is getting back to normal. Our educational institutions have to make some key decisions on masks, vaccinations and if virtual classes will be offered. Please provide your input on these important issues by taking a survey HERE. I will share our community’s responses and will advocate for robust policy on these issues.
The key decisions our educational institutions will be…
Posted on July 9, 2021
The Office of Legislative Research, the non-partisan office within the Connecticut General Assembly, puts together a number of reports regarding various topics that passed during the legislative session pertaining to the residents of Connecticut.
This office has recently released their 2021 Major Public Acts publication and I wanted to share this information with you. More specific reports are to follow, but this outlines many of the major bills that may affect you.
Just a few highlights from the…
Posted on June 21, 2021
Dear friends and neighbors,
The regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly adjourned last week. The legislative session comprised of committee work from January to April and Assembly sessions in May and June. The house convened 27 days over the session. In each session, we debated bills which were advanced by committee. Some of these debates were long and intense, going past 1 AM in the morning. In all, the assembly passed over 300 bills and resolutions. Below is the summary of the key bills…
Posted on May 24, 2021
Bill Clear CT House on Near-Party Line Vote
GREENWICH—State Representatives Harry Arora (R-151) and Kimberly Fiorello (R-149) joined all House Republicans and eight Democrats in opposing HB 6107, An Act Concerning the Reorganization of the Zoning Enabling Act and the Promotion of Municipal Compliance. The bill ultimately passed 84-59 and now awaits action in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Under HB 6107, towns are required to allow accessory dwelling units on any single-home lot “as of right.”…
Posted on May 19, 2021
As a result of increased vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations and reduced mortality, the state mask mandate is being relaxed with immediate effect. Below are the exact details.
Outdoor state mandate: The state will no longer require vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals to wear masks when outdoors. Masks are still required in certain settings like large gatherings and events, for which revised recommendations will be provided by CT Department of Health.
Indoor state mandate: The state will no…
Posted on May 14, 2021
The American Rescue Plan of 2021, signed March 11, 2021, included $3.2 Billion in assistance for broadband access for individuals and families in need. The program went live today, Wednesday, May 12th. Details of this program, Emergency Broadband Benefit, are as below.
Eligibility criteria:
A household is eligible for this program if a member of the household meets any one of the criteria below:
– Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast…
Posted on May 10, 2021
We are winning the fight against COVID. The number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths have all declined rapidly as a result of the vaccination program. Below is an update on the vaccination program and the plan to unwind COVID restrictions.
Vaccination update, COVID immunity, Variant risk:
– Over 1.9 MM. or 70% of all adults in Connecticut have already received at least one dose. The vaccine is now easily available to all residents over 16. If you have been waiting to get the vaccine, please…
Posted on April 29, 2021
The Finance committee passed HB 6443 last week, the Finance Bill, which proposes several new taxes. The proposals in this bill were a surprise and directly contradicted the Governor’s budget which had no new taxes. Please take THIS survey to provide your input on new legislative measures. Here is a summary of the proposed new taxes.
Income taxes
1. Consumption tax of 0.7% to 1.5% on all individuals making over 500k: While this is being called a “consumption tax”, it is by all definitions an income…
Posted on April 19, 2021
Dear friends and neighbors,
Connecticut Department of Housing has received funding from the Federal stimulus legislation to provide rental assistance of up to $10,000 and utility bill assistance of up to $1,500 to qualified Connecticut households financially impacted by the COVID-19. Details of this program called UniteCT are as below. If you or someone you know is renting and has lost their job or experienced loss in income, you can access this program. If you need help, please do not hesitate to…
Posted on April 7, 2021
HARTFORD—State Rep. Harry Arora on Wednesday joined leaders of Connecticut’s business community in calling for state government to use federal pandemic aid to reduce the amount of unemployment debt employers will have to pay back as they work toward recovery.
“Businesses across the state are just trying to get on their feet and full reopening after the pandemic. Let’s help them out now with some relief given to the state by the Federal Government,” Rep. Arora said. “Reducing the size of the loan…
