My March Editorial: 2024 Legislative Goals
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
What’s in store for the 2024 legislative session? We are tasked with proposing, debating, and voting on legislation by midnight on May 8th — and things move fast. This year, I have promoted bills that echo resident concerns including crime, excess state taxes, artificial intelligence advancement, and more. Below, I want to share some of my proposals and information on how you can participate in the lawmaking process.
My legislative goals are simple: support our police, implement affordable solutions, protect our newborns, and advance quality legislation that respects the fiscal guardrails established in 2017. These guardrails, which were put in place to responsibly spend while paying down state debt, are essential to ensuring a stable economy that doesn’t financially burden our middle- and low-income families.
On crime, our police are working hard to keep us safe, however current laws continue to restrict them from doing so to the best of their professional ability. That’s why I proposed restoring a police officer’s ability to execute consent searches of vehicles and to pursue suspects of property crimes. Also, with rising concerns of impaired driving, I support legislation that permits officers to conduct motor vehicle stops when they see marijuana.
On affordability, I want to create an opt-out option for the state’s family leave payroll tax and exempt children’s clothing under $100 from the state’s sales tax. Alongside maintaining our commitment to the successful fiscal guardrails, these bills will provide significant financial relief to our residents and families.
On public health, I submitted proposals to increase access to rapid sequence genome testing for critically ill newborns, expand newborn screening, and create an expansive mechanism for plasma donation centers in Connecticut.
On the environment, I am advocating for the Department of Transportation to replant the same number of trees removed during road construction locally, and for the state to create a stewardship program to encourage environmentally friendly disposal of solar panels.
On technology, I’ve submitted a proposal to criminalize deepfake pornography created by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Deepfakes are images using someone’s likeness without their consent and my bill is intended to promote unsuspecting residents from becoming the victim of such a vile crime.
Don’t forget: You also play a role in the legislative process and there are multiple ways to participate. Be sure to follow me on Facebook (@repcarpino), Instagram (@staterepcarpino), and to consider testifying at a public hearing.
As always, never hesitate to reach out to me with your questions, ideas, and concerns about any state issue by emailing me at Christie.Carpino@housegop.ct.gov or by calling me at 860-240-8700.