SENATOR CHRISTINE COHEN
knows making a difference starts with bringing people together and listening to do what's best for our community.
SENATOR COHEN ON THE ISSUES
Environment
Taking care of our environment has always been one of my top priorities and I was incredibly honored to serve as the Chair of the Environment Committee for four years. As chair, I founded the bipartisan Coastal Caucus, which has served to amplify the voices of coastal communities and I continue to lead that caucus as we navigate rising waters and storm surges. In 2021, I led passage of the first update to our Bottle Bill since the 1970’s, improving recycling infrastructure and cutting down on blight caused by litter. I led passage on a bill which bans harmful PFAS “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam and food packaging, and a ban on single-use plastic bags. In my first term, I passed a bill to enable towns impacted by sea-level rise to adequately plan and save for coastal resiliency, and then in 2021 I passed legislation that strengthened these coastal resiliency funding mechanisms, so our towns have more tools to combat storm surges and sea level rise.
As your state senator I will continue to focus on waste mitigation, eliminating pollutants from our environment and ensuring we meet our carbon emission goals. Now as Chair of the Transportation Committee, reducing transportation related emissions is a top priority.
Economic Growth
Small businesses are the economic engines of the state. As a small business owner, I know the struggles and barriers business owners face and what is required to enable them to prosper. Unfortunately, small businesses have been hurt the hardest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Vice-Chair of the Commerce Committee, I worked to provide much needed relief for our small businesses, and as your state Senator, I will continue to advocate for their recovery and vitality. I continue to chair the Bioscience Caucus of the Connecticut General Assembly and have worked with this industry as their explosive growth continues across the state; particularly right here in the 12th Senate District. It has never been more important to realize continued innovation in this sector and with the passage of bills such as the expansion of research and development tax credits, we can foster that growth.
My colleagues and I worked together to pass unemployment reform that will improve the fund’s solvency and result in a tax cut for the majority of Connecticut businesses. We extended outdoor dining for countless Connecticut restaurants and prioritized access to economic development grant dollars for job growth. There is much work to be done and I am eager to get back to Hartford to be a voice for small business owners across the state.
Budget
In the past, Connecticut's finances have been managed in such a way that prioritizes the short-term, rather than considering the long-term implications. Decades of this type of thinking allowed for massive unfunded pension liabilities to go unaddressed. We owe it to our kids to tackle these problems in a manner that addresses our current needs, while being mindful of the future.
As your state senator, I have now voted for three biennial budgets that made record payments toward the long-term unfunded pension debt from the past 70 years while fully funding current employee obligations, so we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. As a member of the Finance Committee, I wrote and helped pass our most recent bipartisan budget that invests in education, municipal aid, nonprofits, nursing homes, civil and social justice and health care – all without raising taxes. In fact, for the first time in decades, we were able to cut the income tax rate for most residents. We have shored up the Rainy Day Fund to over $3 billion, and met the legal maximum. We supported nonprofits with $110 million, increased the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families, providing $40 million in income to nearly 195,000 households and paid down over $2 billion in long-term debt.
Fiscal responsibility is critical for the growth and success of Connecticut and I'm committed to ensuring our policies are not an extra burden on taxpayers.
Public Safety
Creating a Connecticut that is a safe place to raise a family is my first concern and influences every vote I take. I proudly helped craft and voted for Jennifer’s Law which, among many other things, expands the definition of domestic violence to include non-physical "coercive control", protecting survivors of domestic violence and their children. I voted to close loopholes in laws surrounding Extreme Risk Protection Orders in order to give family members, law enforcement and other professionals more options to protect their loved ones and their community from gun violence.
In my freshman term, I worked alongside Kristin and Michael Song to pass Ethan’s Law, a measure which closed a loophole in state statutes on the safe storage of unattended firearms in homes. This law was recently expanded. I also voted in favor of legislation banning ghost guns and requiring safe storage of firearms in vehicles. Passing common sense gun legislation that protects our community from violence earned me the endorsement of Moms Demand Action and CT Against Gun Violence in 2020 and 2022, two distinctions I wear proudly.
I have worked with police officers, mental health experts and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on legislation that would provide our police departments with Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) so that they have the tools they need to respond to people in a mental health crisis. In my first term, I voted to provide workers compensation benefits to police officers and firefighters, and in my second term I fought to expand those protections to EMTs, 911 dispatchers and correctional officers as well as healthcare workers who cared for COVID patients. I believe that public safety must be approached in a multifaceted and compassionate approach, and I will continue to work together with community advocates, law enforcement, mental health professions and more to achieve a safer Connecticut.
Education
Access to quality education is essential for the wellbeing and development of our children. As we continue to navigate schooling in the age of COVID, it is important that our towns – not Hartford – are at the forefront of determining what is best for our students.
As your state senator, I pushed back against forced regionalization, advocating for local control over our schools. I voted for a budget that increases local funding to schools. I also voted for a bill that focuses on ensuring better mental health outcomes for children through mental health wellness days, suicide prevention training programs and ending shaming of student lunch debt.
Additionally, I'm very proud that we passed legislation that makes community college free to Connecticut residents. Connecticut's community colleges provide critical job training and higher education for thousands of students across the state and now students have the opportunity to attend without incurring debt.
Seniors
This pandemic has been considerably difficult for our vulnerable populations, especially our seniors. My colleagues and I worked to pass legislation that protects our aging population through reducing expensive copays for home care and providing more funding for nursing homes to improve staffing to patient ratios. During the height of the pandemic, we saw so many nursing home residents suffering from isolation from their loved ones. In response, we strengthened the bill of rights for residents of long term care facilities to ensure access to virtual visits and improve quality of life. We worked to lower the cost of prescriptions, something that will help many of us, but especially our older residents.
Connecticut became a national leader in protecting older workers by passing legislation prohibiting age discrimination in the hiring process, ensuring older workers can get an interview. We passed a balanced budget that protects the income tax phase out on social security, making sure Connecticutians who lived, worked and raised a family here can afford to retire here as well.
Healthcare
Now more than ever, it's essential that people have access to affordable health care. As your state senator, I was proud to vote for the creation of a Paid Family and Medical Leave program in 2019, which workers can now begin receiving benefits from. My colleagues and I passed a much needed health insurance expansion, allowing young people to stay on their family dental and vision plans through their 26th birthday.
I also sponsored a bill to strengthen protections for pre-existing conditions. We've come close to achieving a public health insurance option, and in that process have expanded affordable access to healthcare for many. I will continue to fight for small business owners and families to ensure that they have the coverage and support that they need.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we passed legislation expanding access to telehealth services, which benefit so many during this difficult time. Additionally, we passed a bill that caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $25. And this past session, we worked with the Comptroller’s office to create a prescription drug discount program that will work for everyone. Health care should always be accessible and affordable, and I'll continue to advocate for policies that ensure everyone has access to comprehensive, quality care.
Voting Reform
Before last session, Connecticut was one of just a handful of states without any opportunity for Early Voting, and still, absentee ballots are only available to those who meet a narrow set of criteria? Changing voting statutes in Connecticut requires different hurdles and a statewide referendum, but my colleagues and I are working hard to ensure you, the voters, get to decide how and when you want to vote. Together, with you and because of your collective voice, voters overwhelmingly asked for early voting. Last session we put the criteria in to place that makes that a possibility for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.
Over the course of my three terms, my colleagues and I approved voting reforms that allowed voters to decide whether they wanted to allow for early voting. The overwhelming response was yes. We also approved a proposal that will give voters the opportunity to decide whether they want to allow for no-excuse absentee voting. You’ll see this on the ballot in November.
While I am eager to continue this work, the pandemic, and what has since ensued, made it clear that we can’t wait to make substantial changes to allow for safe and secure voting. We voted to allow absentee voting during the pandemic and Connecticut saw record turnout. We passed a proposal for automatic voter registration through many state agencies and town registrars are now required to distribute voter registration information to public high school students. We also secured that everyone can make it to the polls, by ensuring workers are provided 2 hours of unpaid time-off to vote. These reforms ensure our democracy is working for the people and that all voices are heard.