Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This coming Friday, February 22^nd I will be joining Granby First Selectman B. Scott Kuhnly for a Coffee Hour at Granby Town Hall (15 North Granby Road, Granby) from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Join us to share your questions, thoughts and concerns about state and local issues.

You can also RSVP on Facebook

Sincerely,

Bill Simanski – 62nd District

Barkhamsted, Granby, Hartland & New Hartford

Dear Neighbors,

As you may have heard, the Senate Democrat leader is once again proposing a sales tax increase for Connecticut. His bill would increase the Connecticut sales tax rate to 6.85%, raising potentially millions upon millions of dollars in new taxes on Connecticut families.

I would like to hear your opinion on this proposed tax increase. This legislation will be heard by the committee on Wednesday, February 13th, at the State Capitol.

Expressing your opinion can be as simple as sending an email as public testimony on the proposal. Below are the instructions on how to send in brief testimony:

• Send a brief email to: FINtestimony@cga.ct.gov
• Put “Senate Bill 475” in the subject line
• Copy me at: Bill.Simanski@housegop.ct.gov
• Include your name and town

(more…)

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

The 2019 Session is underway! This year I am serving on the Appropriations Committee, Banking Committee and Education Committee. I am committed to protecting the successful reforms such as the caps on spending and borrowing that we fought for in the compromise budget last term.

Follow me on Facebook.com/BillSimanski62nd and online at www.RepSimanski.com for the latest news. Also, make sure to check out the General Assembly Website for useful tips on how to track legislation and how to submit testimony on legislation that you support or oppose.

Sincerely,

Bill Simanski – 62^nd District

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This coming Tuesday, January 22^nd I will be joining Granby First Selectman B. Scott Kunhly for a Coffee Hour at Granby Town Hall (15 North Granby Road, Granby) from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Join us to share your questions, thoughts and concerns about state and local issues.

You can also RSVP on Facebook

The state’s nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has issued its report on important issues that the General Assembly may face during the 2019 legislative session that began January 9^th. You can view or download the report by clicking HERE.

As always, feel free to contact my office at 800-842-1423 if you have questions, concerns or ideas about issues related to state government.

HARTFORD- State Representative Bill Simanski (R-62) took the oath-of-office for his fifth term representing the 62^nd General Assembly district which includes Barkhamsted, Granby, Hartland and New Hartford on Wednesday, January 9th.

“I am humbled to begin another two year term representing the people of the 62^nd district,” said Rep. Simanski. “Our state continues to face major challenges, looming deficits for the next biennial budget, slow economic growth and an unaffordable cost of living. I am eager to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the new administration to bring structural changes to restore opportunity and affordability.”

Rep. Simanski will continue in leadership roles as Assistant Republican Leader and on the Bill Screening Committee. Additionally he will serve as a member of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, the Banking Committee and the Education Committee.

The 2019 Legislative Session will run for a five month period from January 9^th to June 5^th. Rep. Simanski can be reached at Bill.Simanski@housegop.ct.gov or 860-240-8700.

HARTFORD – State Representative Bill Simanski (R-62) was appointed to serve on the legislature’s Appropriations Committee, Banking Committee and Education Committee on Tuesday, December 18^th.

The new assignments will take effect on January 9^th at the start of the next legislative term.

“I am excited to serve on the Appropriations Committee,” said Rep. Simanski. “Serving on the committee will give me a strong platform to advocate for our small towns during the budget writing process. I was also pleased to be re-appointed to the Education Committee to continue advocating for our children and school districts and I will continue to serve on the Banking Committee to advocate for pro-business and consumer friendly legislation.”

The Appropriations Committee handles all matters related to the budgets of state agencies, other issues under its banner include state employees’ salaries, benefits and retirement as well as pensions and collective bargaining agreements for state employees.

In addition to these assignments, Rep. Simanski will continue in important roles for the House Republican Caucus on the Bill Screening Committee and as Assistant House Republican Leader.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This Saturday October, 27th is National Drug Take Back Day. The Take Back Day is part of the DEA’s National Take Back Initiative to safely dispose of unwanted medications. There is an opportunity to dispose of your unwanted medications in Granby’s Police Department. Studies have shown that drug abuse often starts with family members having access to unused opioids, inadvertently left in the family’s medicine cabinet. Please check your medicine storage areas to see if there are any unused or no longer necessary medications and avail yourself of this opportunity for safe disposal.

10am – 2pm

Granby Police Department

15 N. Granby Road

**The service is free and anonymous, no questions will be asked**

No needles or sharps will be accepted.

Examples of sharps include:

Needles – hollow needles used to inject drugs (medication) under the skin

Syringes – devices used to inject medication into or withdraw fluid from the body Lancets, also called “fingerstick” devices – instruments with a short, two-edged blade used to get drops of blood for testing. Lancets are commonly used in the treatment of diabetes.

Auto Injectors, including epinephrine and insulin pens – syringes pre-filled with fluid medication designed to be self-injected into the body

Infusion sets – tubing systems with a needle used to deliver drugs to the body.

Connection needles/sets – needles that connect to a tube used to transfer fluids in and out of the body. This is generally used for patients on home hemodialysis.

HARTFORD – On Thursday, October 4^th, Governor Malloy announced a new partnership between the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Sandy Hook Promise to offer new training for school administrators, teachers and students on violence prevention.

The partnership is expect to serve 116,00 Connecticut students and has been made possible through $500,000 in federal funding though the STOP School Violence Act of 2018.

Rep. Simanski commented, “I am pleased that Connecticut received a $500,000 federal grant that will be used to address the root cause of school violence, mental health. CT is partnering with Sandy Hook Promise to help train students, educators and school administrators on identifying at-risk behaviors such as potential violence and suicide. The training not only teaches how to identify at-risk behaviors but also how to assess, intervene and get help for individuals exhibiting these behaviors. This is a proactive program that will help prevent schoolroom violence and make our schools safer.”

Read Governor Malloy’s announcement HERE.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Department of Consumer Protection have recently released a notice urging homeowners to ‘make an assessment of risky dead trees’ while they still have leaves.

DEEP and DCP advise homeowners to look for the following:

Signs you have a risky dead tree

Most healthy hardwood trees would have retained their leaves until the end of September, while unhealthy or dead trees would have already shed or may have never produced leaves this growing season.  The lack of greenery during the growing season is clear indication a tree is dead and should be removed if it is a threat to property.

What you should do before hiring a contractor

• Shop around: Get multiple quotes to ensure you are hiring the best person to work on your property.
• Verify a contractor has the proper credential: Anyone making changes to your property, including removing trees, must have a home improvement contractor registration. If someone is doing more detailed work such as correctively pruning a tree, or doing other work associated with prolonging a tree’s life, they must have an Arborist’s license from DEEP.
• Have a contract: Home improvement contractors are required to have a written contract with you before work may begin.

** It will be helpful to know how long the work is anticipated to take, the costs, the final outcome and what responsibilities you may have in the process**

• Ask for references: Ask your potential contractor for references from homeowners who have had that contractor do tree removal work on their property.
• Be aware of scams: Avoid contractors who display signs of being a scammer.

**If you have a complaint regarding a home improvement contractor that you haven’t been able to resolve by contacting that individual or business, you are encouraged to file a complaint with DCP by emailing dcp.complaints@ct.gov**

According to DEEP and DCP, starting in 2015, Connecticut experienced three consecutive years of expanding Gypsy moth caterpillar defoliation caused by dry springs.  This drought inhibited a moisture dependent soil fungus that solely impacts gypsy moth caterpillar from emerging. In addition, the statewide establishment of Emerald ash borer is causing extensive ash mortality.

Connecticut has been long recognized as having the highest WUI indices in the United States. WUI otherwise known as the Wildland-Urban Interface, is a term that recognizes the proximity of peoples’ homes to forests, wetlands and grasslands. A common term used in fire prone areas of the US, many are surprised at Connecticut’s WUI ranking which is caused by a high percentage of tree canopy cover over a densely populated area. WUI helps explain why so many Connecticut residents are impacted by forest pest outbreaks and severe storms.