NORWICH – Last weekend, local lawmakers and members of the Legislative caucus on Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) State Representatives Mike France (R-42) and Kathleen McCarty (R-38) served on the “Decisions and Debates: A Legislative Forum on Disability Issues” panel hosted by the Norwich Commission on Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) at the Otis Library.

This forum was held as a part of Disability Awareness Week, a series of educational and cultural events that focus on independence, civil rights and self-determination for I/DD individuals.

Reps. France and McCarty joined State Senators Paul Formica and Cathy Osten at this event to discuss the compliance of local services with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as available access to healthcare, housing, public transportation and educational and employment opportunities. The legislators also touched on key disability-related legislation from this past session and addressed topics likely to come up in 2019. The discussions were moderated by Elanah Sherman, NCPD Chairwoman, and Melissa Marshall, Coordinator of the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance.

“We need to bring regional efforts together to collaboratively ensure mobility and appropriate services for the disabled,” said Rep. France, who voted in favor of Special Act 18-3, which established a task force to study best practices to provide transportation for disabled persons, senior citizens and veterans. “I believe some important first steps include determining how to effectively differentiate a learning disability from a mental illness, expanding ADA-compliant access to state buildings, enabling opportunities to participate in the legal process by providing ADA-compliant jury boxes, determining possible alternative solutions to the Southbury Training Facility, and exploring the option of offering private insurance coverage with sufficient duration of coverage.”

“It is so crucial that we keep advocating for the needs of our I/DD community,” said Rep. McCarty, who co-sponsored Special Act 18-3 and who is a long-time supporter of Camp Harkness, which provides programs to I/DD individuals. “I have held several similar forums in my district to speak with my constituents and local organization leaders. As we continue to find gaps in our services it is important that state spending be prioritized so that funding for critical services such as employment, transportation, and housing that support the ID/D Community, can be protected within available resources.”

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is beginning a tree and vegetation removal project on I-395 Southbound in Montville and Route 693 (Montville Connector) Northbound & Southbound in Montville and Waterford on Tuesday, October 9th.

Work is scheduled to take place Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. until Friday, October 26th. Please expect lane closures on I-395 Southbound from the Moxley Road underpass to the Junction of State Route 693 in Montville. Lane closures on the Connector will occur between Route 32 and the end of the Connector in Waterford/Montville.

Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Please maintain a safe speed when driving in this vicinity.

A number of new laws passed during the 2018 Legislative Session take effect today, October 1st. These laws may have an impact on you, your business, or our community. To see a full list, please click here.

I am pleased to have supported the following Public Acts in becoming law:

Veterans

Public Act 18-47 expands eligibility for certain veterans benefits to certain individuals who have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or who have had an experience of military sexual trauma.

Public Act 18-102 eliminates qualifying income limits for veterans in order to improve eligibility for certain municipal option tax exemptions.

Business

Public Act 18-79 exempts from the property tax a business’s tangible personal property that is more than 10 years old and had an original value of not more than $250.

Public Safety

Public Act 18-90 prevents credit agencies from charging fees for security freezes and doubles (from one year to two) the amount of time businesses have to provide free credit monitoring if an account is hacked.

Public Act 18-135 criminalizes the act of masking the identity of a caller initiating robo calls.

Public Health

Special Act 18-15 provides consumers with access to information regarding the safety of sports helmets on the State Department of Education’s website.

Public Act 18-4 establishes various requirements regarding the treatment of women – specifically pregnant inmates. In general, it requires the Department of Correction (DOC) to establish support services, such as a lactation policy, for incarcerated women, provide inmates with feminine hygiene products free of cost (upon request), reinstate its training program on mental health issues for custodial staff and use a gender-responsive approach to risk assessment.

Public Act 18-149 protects patients from unexpected costs and fees at outpatient clinics, urgent care centers and freestanding emergency departments.

Energy & Environment

Public Act 18-7 enables the transfer of funds from the Passport to the Parks account and requires special event fees at state parks to be based on the number of attendees and cover state costs related to such events.

Public Act 18-73 provides for the offering of proof that farm products that are sold to school districts as “Connecticut-grown” are actually grown in the state.

Public Act 18-101 raises awareness and provides funding for efforts to fight aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria blooms that threaten the state’s lakes and ponds by establishing a “Save Our Lakes” license plate.

For the second year, the UConn Department of Women and Philanthropy is hosting a free program for the public called Successful Women Making a Difference. This event consists of a panel discussion and networking opportunities with strong and successful women in the region who will share their stories, contributions, and ideas about success.

When: Friday, September 28, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where: UConn Avery Point Auditorium, 1084 Shennecossett Road, Groton

Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Development Council, will serve as the keynote speaker while Susette Tibus, Owner of Simply Majestic Jewelry in Mystic, will be the moderator. Panelists include:

• Kia Baird, Certified Employment Support Professional and President of the New London County Section of the National Council of Negro Women
• Rain Daughterty, Outdoor Program & Outreach Coordinator, L.L. Bean and former director of the Office of Development and Planning for the City of New London
• Maryam Elahi, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
• Lisa Tepper-Bates,Consultant, Fio Partners and recent CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

Please RSVP by September 21st here. If you require an accommodation to participate or have any dietary needs, please specify this in your RSVP. For questions, please contact Marcy Jarzabek via email or at (860) 486-3905.

Starting Sunday, September 9th, organizations from around the country will be coming together to spread awareness of the risks and signs of suicide, as well as how we can #stopsuicide.

National Suicide Prevention Week takes place between September 9th and September 15th, with World Suicide Prevention Day also falling on Monday, September 10th.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention considers one of the biggest risks for suicide to be social isolation, and there’s scientific evidence for reducing suicide risk by making sure we connect with one another. We can all play a role through the power of connection by having real conversations about mental health with people in everyday moments – whether it’s with those closest to us, or the coffee barista, parking lot attendant, or the grocery store clerk. We don’t always know who is struggling, but we do know that one conversation could save a life.

Please know than an “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk to fight suicide will be taking place from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at McCook’s Park in Niantic on Saturday, September 15th. For more information, please click here or contact Michelle Peters at 860-614-72018 or mpeters@afsp.org. Online registration closes at noon on Friday, September 14th. You may also register in person at the walk starting at 11:00 a.m. Registration is free and open to the public. 

The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is always open for confidential support. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Other organizations that are participating in National Suicide Prevention Week includes 1 Word 1 Voice 1 Life, United Way, Connecticut Clearinghouse, the Department of Mental Health & Addication Services, and the American Association of Suicidology.

HARTFORD — State Representative Mike France (R-42) invites his constituents to join him for a town-hall style meeting at the Preston Public Library on September 20^th for a Legislative Update. On September 22^nd, he will be holding a second Legislative Update at the Ledyard Town Hall Annex. Rep. France will be discussing what’s happening up in Hartford and new laws enacted this summer that may affect our communities.

PRESTON

WHEN: Thursday, September 20^th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Preston Public Library, 389 Route 2

LEDYARD

WHEN: Saturday, September 22^nd from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Ledyard Town Hall Annex, 741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

These events are free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend but would still like to connect with Rep. France, please do not hesitate to contact him at Mike.France@housegop.ct.gov or (800) 842-1423. If either meeting needs to be cancelled or postponed, a notice will be posted on Rep. France’s website at www.RepFrance.com and his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/RepFrance.