Rep. Haines Begins Second Term
HARTFORD – On Wednesday, January 6, State Representative Irene Haines (R-34) took the oath of office for her second term as State Representative for the 34th District which includes the towns of East Hampton, East Haddam, and portions Colchester. To accommodate social distancing, the ceremony was held outdoors on the north steps of the Capitol under partially cloudy skies.
“It’s an honor to serve the people of East Haddam, East Hampton and Colchester for another two years,” said Rep. Haines. “There are many challenges ahead of us as we navigate the pandemic and recovery. The people of Connecticut are counting on us to work together and find solutions.”
Rep. Haines was also appointed Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. Additionally, Rep. Haines will serve as a member of the Education Committee and the Transportation Committee.
“I’m eager to begin committee work. These assignments put me in a strong position to advocate for our district on important matters facing our schools, job training programs, and critical infrastructure,” commented Rep. Haines.
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.