NEWSLETTER JAN 24

DEMOCRATS AT WORK: In Hartford Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas urged the Assembly to adopt a 10-day early voting period beginning with municipal elections this year. State Sen. Ceci Maher, in her role as Chair of the Children Committee, lobbied for  emergency funding to support school meals through the end of this current school year. Rep. Keith Denning offered a bill concerning terramation. Gov. Lamont introduced new gun safety legislation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal visited the Ukraine and echoed Rep. Jim Himes' called for military support to the Ukraine. Sen. Chris Murphy celebrated historic funding for mental health care. Learn more about what's going on locally at our meeting on February 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Comstock Community Center.

In her first recommendation as the new Secretary of the State, Stephanie Thomas urged the Assembly to pass legislation allowing for ten days of early voting, beginning with the 2023 municipal elections. It is legislation "that provides increased access to voters, creates minimal strain on our municipalities and election officials, and is easily understood by the public," saidThomas in CT Insider. Voters approved early balloting in November.

CT Mirror

State Sen. Ceci Maher joined representatives from food, hunger, school and health nonprofits to discuss the importance of funding meals for all Connecticut students. We are advocating for emergency funding to be passed to support school meals through the end of this current school year, as well as seeking a long-term legislative fix to indefinitely fund school meals. Maher is Senate Chair of the General Assembly’s Committee on Children and Vice Chair of the Higher Education Committee. 

Rep. Keith Denning. representing the new 42nd District Assembly seat, took on an unusual topic in one of his first bills: terramation, or human composting. Keith and his wife Christine, both nurses, say they and many others would prefer natural organic reduction over embalming or cremation, though it is not yet legal in the state. (It was recently enacted in New York). Keith's bill is HB 5010. “I’ve spoken to a lot of people as a healthcare professional and heard that they didn’t want to be embalmed or have a traditional burial,” Denning told CT Insider. “They wanted a more environmentally friendly way of treating their remains.” It's worth reading about.

CT Mirror

Gov. Ned Lamont this week introduced new gun safety legislation that would ban ghost guns, limit open carry and increase by $2.5 million funding for violence intervention. “They wanted a more environmentally friendly way of treating their remains.” It's worth reading about. He announced the measures at a press conference at the Waterbury Police department.

WJAR

Sen. Richard Blumenthal was part of a bipartisan group, including Republican Lindsey Graham, that traveled to the Ukraine to assess requests for equipment and armor. As did Rep. Jim Himes before him, Blumenthal stressed the need for more support. "America has the historic opportunity to continue to aid Ukraine on its path to victory.The equipment we've provided has been used effectively and powerfully." Himes tweeted last week: "The US should be providing tanks."

CT Insider

As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Sen. Chris Murphy helped secure historic amounts of funding to expand access to mental health care in 2023. "Our country continues to tolerate a health care system that doesn't have the resources to match the millions of Americans who face mental health crisis. I don't accept this reality," said Murphy.

Washington Post political commentator Jennifer Rubin's essay on rising anti-semitism is noteworthy. "That antisemitism has roared back with a vengeance is thanks mainly to a party that embraces white Christian nationalism and kooky conspiracy theories," Rubin writes. "Republicans need to clean house to rid their party of purveyors of rabid anti-Jewish hatred." She does not spare the left in her criticism, thought to a lesser extent.

CALENDAR

February 3

Wilton Pride Ask Me Anything at Trackside Teen Center, 7:00 p.m.

February 7

DTC meeting at Comstock Community Center, 7:30 p.m.

March 7

DTC meeting at Comstock Community Center, 7:30 p.m.

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