Full House of Issues on Tap in the Legislature

The bill proposals are filed, committee meetings are underway, and the public hearing calendar is taking shape. Yes, the 2020 legislative session here. I'll continue my work with the committees on Finance, Public Health, General Law, and Legislative Management. Early days have produced a diverse set of topics that'll be under consideration between now and when the session ends May 6, from controlling the cost of insulin to sports betting. Naturally, the state budget casts a large shadow on everything we do. A big part of the legislature's job is to adjust the second-year of the two-year budget that was approved last spring. The governor struck an optimistic tone on the session's opening day, and while I remain concerned about our state's fiscal policy and antagonistic attitude toward business, I'm always hopeful that the legislature's majority party will begin to take steps to right the ship. Budget and economy aside, there's a bunch of topics I'm digging into this session. Among them is the need to give victims of domestic abuse easier access to financial assistance. Women trying to leave abusive situations often find it difficult to qualify for the critical state aid they need because their spouse's income is factored during the application process. Unfortunately, that administrative hurdle can be enough to cause some women to stay in a dangerous situation because they don't have the financial resources to cover their living expenses. I'm supporting legislation that would allow victims to apply for temporary state services without being required to list their spouse's income. A case review would be held within 90 days of the initial application. If you've read any of my recent columns here, you've likely noticed my interest in issues tied to government transparency. My colleagues and I started the session by asking majority party leadership to:

• hold a public hearing on the final budget bill;
• require a vote in order to conduct business after midnight;
• give residents a better shot of being heard earlier at public hearings.

I'll continue to seek greater transparency in quasi-public entities, such as the troubled Connecticut Port Authority, and the Connecticut Partnership for Education—a public-private partnership backed by billionaire Ray Dalio that uses millions in state dollars yet enjoys freedom to conduct board discussions in private sessions. An omnibus bill last year that contained good policy related to liquor control unfortunately came with a negative side effect for Connecticut farm wineries. The legislation could empower a new class of wine manufacturers who aren't required to grow their ingredients, allowing those businesses to simply buy thousands of gallons of out-of-state wine, bottle it, label it, and sell it as if it's a locally-produced gem. It's an unfair situation that should be rectified before the legislation is implemented this summer. Finally, I find there aren't many places I go where someone doesn't share concern about teen vaping. School administrators are grappling with the epidemic, and few would say they're gaining ground in the fight. I'm glad the governor has shown concern about the topic. I'll push to move sales of flavored vaping products out of convenience stores—they should be sold exclusively at smoke/vape shops, where I believe there are stronger efforts to keep them away from kids. As always, if you have questions about these topics or any other issue tied to state government, feel free to contact my office at 800-842-1423 or vincent.candelora@housegop.ct.gov.