Posted on May 22, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – House Republican Lawmakers sent a formal letter to Governor Lamont Tuesday night to notify him that all members of the House Republican Caucus are fully unified against tolls.
The letter was sent after the governor declared that he will begin focusing on the budget and will table tolls for a special legislative session to give Republicans more time to support the proposal.
In the letter, House Republicans’ said that going into a special session would be an undue tax burden on the people…
Posted on May 15, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – State Representative Jesse MacLachlan praised the passage of legislation on Tuesday that will create tougher penalties for the illegal manufacturing, distributing or selling of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
“Treating the sale, distribution, and manufacturing of Fentanyl the same as Heroin is a step in the right direction to help us combat the opioid epidemic,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “With our state’s push against the manufacturers of opioids and now increasing the penalties of those dealing fentanyl, Connecticut is doing every we can to stop the opioid epidemic.”
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Posted on May 15, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan offshore wind industry bill on Tuesday that will an offshore wind energy hub in New London in an effort to generate much needed renewable resources and create jobs through a public-private partnership that will revitalize the city’s vital port and state pier.
Rep. MacLachlan said this legislation will help diversify Connecticut’s energy sources and create more jobs.
“Connecticut is unleashing the opportunity to produce an untapped energy source,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “We are perfectly located to use offshore wind energy to our advantage and to generate enough energy to help reduce the high energy cost the residents of Connecticut pay.”
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Posted on May 1, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – Earlier this month, State Rep. Jesse MacLachlan voted in support of House Bill 552 a bill that looks to further protect residents with preexisting conditions.
The bill redefines the “preexisting condition provision” to encompass preexisting conditions that may not have been recognized or treated by medical professionals prior to the effective date of the plan and the bill requires short-term, or bridge, policies to also cover preexisting
conditions. These additions complete the coverage intended by the provision. The bill also removes a redundant section concerning breast cancer survivors.
“I heard from a lot of people on the campaign trail about their concerns over healthcare and losing coverage due to a preexisting condition,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “No one should be denied healthcare because of a preexisting condition and I am proud to support this bill that will protect healthcare for Connecticut residents.”
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Posted on April 24, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – State Representatives Noreen Kokoruda and Jesse MacLachlan hosted a “Tolls Informational Forum” on Tuesday night at Madison Town Hall.
The forum, which was presented by House and Senate Republican ranking members of the Transportation Committee, State Rep. Laura Devlin and Senator Henri Martin, was the 18th forum held since the start of the legislative session.
Panelists and hosts presented the history of the Special Transportation Fun, recent results of toll studies and plans, as well as the GOP alternative to tolling called “Prioritize Progress,” which secures $65 billion dollars for transportation projects over the next 30 years without relying on tolls or tax increases. The plan re-prioritizes funding from pet projects and other quasi-wants to fund infrastructure improvements. Lawmakers noted that the plan operates within Connecticut’s new bond cap, borrowing no more than allowed under the cap. Last year, the bipartisan budget lawmakers placed a cap on state bonding.
The full plan can be viewed at www.cthousegop.com/prioritize.
There were about 90 individuals in attendance, the majority of which expressed opposition to tolls.
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Posted on April 6, 2019 by admin
WESTBROOK – State Representatives Jesse MacLachlan, Devin Carney and state Senator Norm Needleman hosted a ‘Community Conversation’ on Wednesday night in Westbrook.
Over eighty residents attended the event to hear from the lawmakers about the legislative session and to ask questions about bills related to tolls, regionalization of schools, and the state budget.
“I want to thank all the residents who showed up to speak to us about issues they are concerned about,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “I have received hundreds of emails this session about tolls and the forced regionalization of schools. I am against both of these proposals. We can’t ask taxpayers to pay more and more.”
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Posted on March 26, 2019 by admin
WESTBROOK, CT – State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Westbrook) and State Representatives Jesse MacLachlan (R-Westbrook) and Devin Carney (R-Westbrook) will hold a Community Conversation event with the public on Wednesday, April 3. The event is scheduled to be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Westbrook Town Hall’s Multimedia Room, located at 866 Boston Post Road in Westbrook.
Sen. Needleman and Reps. MacLachlan and Carney will discuss the state budget with members of the public, among a number of other important legislative issues.
“I look forward to hearing from residents about some of the hot button issues including tolls, the forced regionalization of schools and the several tax increase proposals,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “It’s important for residents to have the opportunity to share their thoughts about legislation that will have a significant impact on their daily lives.”
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Posted on March 15, 2019 by admin
Dear Neighbors,
Next month, I will be hosting a joint Informational Forum on Tolls with State Rep. Noreen Kokoruda in Madison.
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Posted on March 14, 2019 by admin
Dear Neighbors,
On Friday, Governor Ned Lamont’s budget proposal will be in front of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee. As you may know, the governor is looking to increase revenues by implementing 53 tolls throughout the state and expanding the sales tax to include new items and services.
Here are just a couple of services and items that will now fall under the sales tax:
– Legal services
– Accounting services
– Real estate activities and agents/brokers
– Veterinary services
– Barber shops and beauty salons
– Sports/recreation instruction and industries
– Renovation and repair of residential property
– Non-prescription drugs
– Bicycle helmets
– Child car seats
– Vegetable seeds
– Safety apparel
The governor’s budget proposal also looks to eliminate the following:
-The sales tax-free week
-The increased exemption for social security income
-The exemption for pension and annuity income
For the full list click here.
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Posted on March 9, 2019 by admin
HARTFORD – State Representative Jesse MacLachlan testified in the Energy and Technology Committee on Tuesday to offer fixes to legislation that was passed last year.
As a former solar developer, Rep. MacLachlan highlighted in his testimony that Senate Bill 9 did a lot of good things in the energy and technology industry, but some flaws still needed to be addressed.
Here are the three changes Rep. MacLachlan would like to see made:
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