Charles Ferraro
By Charles Ferraro
State Rep., R-117
After another election season has wrapped up, state legislators are back to planning their priorities for the upcoming legislative session. It is a great honor to return to the State Capitol to serve as your state representative for the 2023-2024 session, and I look forward to enacting meaningful policy measures that address affordability concerns of utilities, electricity and burdensome state taxes, worries about public safety in our community, and more.
The governor called for a special session of the state legislature in late November to address some serious issues in our state and provide financial relief in select instances to Connecticut residents and families. The House passed HB 6001, which bolstered the pandemic bonus Premium Pay program, provided additional funding to LIHEAP to assist with home heating costs, extended the gas tax holiday with an implemented phase-in calendar and extended free bus fares for Connecticut residents. I voted yes on this bill.
These initiatives certainly deliver relief, but the legislation had grave flaws that Republicans aimed to address through amendments. The majority looped these measures into one large omnibus bill, and we proposed to separate them for increased scrutiny on each individual proposal. Our amendment failed on party lines.
This upcoming session will likely follow some of these same trends, and House Republicans will continue to be your voice in the General Assembly that prioritizes actions that do not make government pick winners and losers. The issues facing our state and its residents are too serious to allow one-party rule to run rampant through our legislature.
The 2023 legislative session convenes on Jan. 4 and will conclude on June 7. I encourage all of you to follow along, stay in touch with your state legislators, testify in public hearings or just make your voice heard on issues that matter to you and your families.
Each meeting of the state House of Representatives will be broadcast live on the web, newly in high definition, on CT-N.com. There you will find livestreams of floor debates, Capitol news briefings, committee meetings, and public hearings.
You can also stay updated on the session through my public profiles. I encourage you to follow my Facebook page, facebook.com/RepFerraro, my webpage at cthousegop.com/ferraro and by signing up for email updates.
Your contributions to the legislative process are integral in ensuring that our policies are reflective of the will of the people. It is our hope that a new year and new legislative session will also bring a renewed policy on public access to the state Capitol. Currently, we are still battling restrictive policies which are a hurdle to strengthening the quality of our work by stifling public input.
Together, we can ensure that our community enjoys a safe, healthy and prosperous winter and holiday season. Please continue to reach out to me at Charles.Ferraro@housegop.ct.gov with your questions and concerns regarding state issues.