Hartford – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) spoke in favor of a new law proposal that would allow veterans or active military to use their military identification cards to enter public buildings that require one to present a form of personal identification. Currently, a driver’s license is the standard form of proving one’s identification, but not all veterans have a driver’s license.

Rep. Buckbee said, “Without question, one’s military identification should be sufficient to enter state buildings and other public buildings that require any individual to show some form of identification. A friend of mine, one of our veterans, was denied access to a building when he produced his military identification to prove who he was. To deny any member of the active military or veteran access to a building after they have shown who they are is just wrong!”

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Photo: Sergio Liguori – Northville Volunteer Fire Department, State Rep. Bill Buckbee, Rachel Holmes – Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, Michael Kronick – West Port, CT Fire Deputy Chief

HARTFORD – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) testified before the Public Safety Committee regarding a bill adding a layer of greater public safety and preserving our environment. Ultimately, the new law will allow the mobilization of qualified forest firefighters within Connecticut to fight forest fires in the most effective way possible. Prior to speaking in favor of the bill, Rep. Buckbee assembled wildfire experts from across the state to show the committee that the intent of the bill is about getting all of the trained firefighters in the state working together.

“Currently, in the event of a forest fire within our state, some firefighters may not legally be allowed to help fight the flames. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection administers training for forest firefighters and state statute requires that those fighting forest fires be employed by DEEP. If this law were to pass, then qualified forest firefighters, regardless of employer, would be able to help fight in the event of an emergency,” explained Rep. Buckbee.

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HARTFORD – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) testified today before the Transportation Committee on two initiatives that will make a positive impact on the local community. One proposal focused on bringing commuter rail back to New Milford and the other was concerning the registration of all motorized vehicles that operate on roadways.

“1971 was the last year that we had commuter rail in New Milford. Over the last decade, the state has invested over $4.6 billion to rail infrastructure. It’s unfortunate that none of those dollars found their way to New Milford,” stated Rep. Buckbee.

According to Buckbee, there would an influx of roughly 100 to 150 additional riders daily on the Greater Danbury Line if an extension was made to connect New Milford. Riding the train would alleviate the congested I-84 corridor and lessen traffic flows on even smaller throughways, like Route 7. Additionally, studies have shown that younger generations prefer to utilize light rail in areas that it is available to them. State policy should mirror this social trend.

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To the Editor,

I do not put party first and never will. It’s not what you’ve put me there to do, and I take this job seriously. I take pride in being bipartisan. I consider every single vote and say:

• Is it the right thing to do?
• Is it best for the people of New Milford?
• Is it best for the State?

I ensure that I have answered these questions before I put forth a legislative proposal. I took an optimistic approach to this session. We were promised a fresh outlook, a new approach on doing business at the Capitol. So far, that hasn’t happened. It’s déjà vu, all over again.

The top proposals coming from the governor and some legislators across the aisle are focused on new taxes and tax increases.

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HARTFORD – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) was sworn into his second term today at the State Capitol when the General Assembly convened for the beginning of the 2019 Legislative Session, which will adjourn on Wednesday, June 5.

Rep. Buckbee will assume the Ranking Member role of the Internship Committee, and continue his service on the Commerce Committee. In addition to those assignments, he will also begin service on the Energy and Technology Committee.

“We are back in Hartford and getting to work right away,” said Buckbee, “I have quite a few proposals that will be beneficial to New Milford and Connecticut residents. A couple of the highlights of my proposals include a full-time job incentive, so that we can grow and strengthen our state’s workforce. I am also continuing my quest to bring commuter rail to New Milford, so that we have options for those who commute in and out of town daily for work, or on the weekends for recreation.”

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NEW MILFORD – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) and State Senator Craig Miner (R-Litchfield) visited MEDinstill, one of the state’s leading medical manufacturing companies, on Monday afternoon. Mayor Pete Bass coordinated the meeting and also invited the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board in order to explore the potential growth within the industry at a local level.

Rep. Buckbee, a member of the legislature’s Commerce Committee, explained, “I want to thank Mayor Bass and the MEDinstill team for taking the time to meet with us. MEDinstill has an important impact on our community. There is an opportunity to extrapolate that positive impact to other industries and regions across the state. The manufacturing of medical parts may not seem exciting on the surface, but MEDinstill is continuously working on products that prevent further harm to patients and their caregivers. They are true innovators and problem solvers, which is exactly the type of talent we should be fostering here in New Milford and in Connecticut.”

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As summer draws to a close and back-to-school shopping starts, I wanted to remind you that “Tax Free Week” is coming up, beginning Sunday, August 19 and ending Saturday, August 25.

This one-week event eliminates Connecticut’s 6.35 percent sales tax on clothing and footwear costing less than $100. Please note: This benefit has been substantially reduced from previous years. (more…)

HARTFORD – State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) was informed today that he had officially earned a one hundred percent voting record for 2018. This marks the second year in a row that Rep. Buckbee has earned a perfect voting record and has not missed a floor vote since being elected in 2016.

“I make sure that I am present and participate every time there is a House session and we are considering pending legislation. I am proud to report to the residents of New Milford that I took part in all 317 roll call votes in the House of Representatives this year,” explained Rep. Buckbee. “I have not missed a vote throughout my entire term because I am truly committed to bringing the voice of my fellow residents in New Milford to Hartford and to ensure that our families and hard-working men and women have the quality representation in Hartford that they deserve.”

Buckbee currently serves on the legislature’s Commerce, Childrens, and Internship committees. In addition to his committee assignments, Rep. Buckbee also joined the School Safety and Security Working Group and the Fire/EMS caucus.

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HARTFORD – The House of Representatives convened today to consider legislation that the governor had vetoed from the 2018 Legislative Session. The House acted on one law that had been vetoed, which was designed to protect education funding from being cut mid-way through the fiscal year by future governors.

“I proudly joined my colleagues in the House today to reverse the action of the governor and protect the rights of the children in our community to receive a quality education. This common sense provision would have helped sideline education funding from being used as a political poker chip for the foreseeable future. For New Milford, specifically, this would mean greater stability in crafting our local budget because we would have a concrete idea of how much state funding will actually be allocated, as opposed to the status quo of being handed a phantom number from the state,” explained Buckbee.

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New Milford – As New Milford High Schoolers head into their last few days of classes, State Representative Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) stopped by to take a tour and visit with students. Buckbee was invited to speak with two groups of students enrolled in civics courses.

“I want to thank the students for their enthusiastic participation and communicating with me during my visit to the school. Promoting civic engagement is imperative to shaping an informed electorate and our state’s future leaders. Based on the questions I received, from both groups of students, they all demonstrated a high level of interest and understanding of the state’s political environment,” stated Buckbee, who is also a New Milford High School graduate.

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