Posted on January 6, 2021
HARTFORD – On Wednesday, January 6, State Representative Holly Cheeseman (R-37) took the oath of office for her third term as State Representative for the 37th District which includes the towns of East Lyme and Salem. To accommodate social distancing, the ceremony was held outdoors on the north steps of the Capitol under partially cloudy skies.
“This session we need to concentrate on the most pressing issue facing our constituents; COVID recovery. This includes continuing our public health efforts – especially for our seniors and nursing home residents who have suffered the most-, addressing challenges such as domestic violence which increased during the pandemic response, and putting renewed emphasis on our economic health,” said Rep. Cheeseman. “Connecticut residents cannot afford a slow recovery. As the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, I will advocate for policies to help employers and employees to weather the crisis and grow in the future.”
Rep. Cheeseman was also appointed Ranking Member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Additionally, she will serve as a member of the Energy and Technology Committee and the General Law Committee.
Following the swearing in, legislators moved inside to their individual legislative offices to participate in online meetings and votes regarding the formal rules of the session and to handle other duties.
This session, when the General Assembly meets it will be, by most appearances, virtually. This means that committee hearings, floor votes, town halls, and office hours will be mostly conducted through Zoom, with lawmakers observing social distancing.
Today’s ceremony kicked off the start of the legislature’s “long session” which runs from January 6 through June 9. Connecticut’s legislature is part-time, with regular sessions held from January to June in odd-numbered years, and from February to May in even-numbered years. The “long session” is used to establish a state budget and introduce bills of a general nature. In the even-year “short session” the legislature can only consider bills directly related to the state budget, revenue and financial matters, as well as committee bills or resolutions, and those matters certified to be of an emergency nature.