By Mary Welander
State Rep., D-114
Mary Welander
While the 2022 legislative session officially begins on Feb. 9, I have been working every day to prepare for the fast pace and early deadlines.
Last year we were officially clocked in from Jan. 6 through June 9. During that session we not only prepared and passed a bipartisan-supported budget, but individual legislators were able to submit proposals covering any topic.
This year there are more restrictions in place. Legislation has to be proposed and taken up by a committee, which makes it harder for specialized laws to be passed. The shorter schedule is specifically aimed at making legislative adjustments to the budget; this year that task is made more difficult by the uncertainty of what we can expect in federal dollars.
Despite the limitations, I do have legislative goals for this year. I am continuing to work with the Veterans Committee to find responsible pathways to reflect skills gained during military service in our state licensure process. I want to ensure that we respect the training our service men and women receive and fill the gaps in our workforce for skilled tradespeople.
I am also hopeful that the Public Health Committee will take up a proposal that came out of a tragic loss for a family in our area. “Scarlet’s Bill” would ensure that families who have suffered a stillbirth would be guaranteed a certain amount of time to make the important, heart-wrenching decisions that follow this tragic loss. I want to thank Scarlet’s mom, Katie, for not only being a tireless advocate for this legislation, but also for the work she does to support other families who find themselves in the same situation. You can learn more about her efforts at facebook.com/scarletsmission.
I have also continued to work on the mental health crisis so many of our children are facing. Access to care was a problem before the pandemic; now it is even worse. I am incredibly proud to have been placed by the Speaker of the House, Rep. Matt Ritter, on a select committee tasked with creating crucial legislation to address this in the immediate, short-term and long-term arenas. This work will continue throughout session.
I am also so grateful to have also been nominated by leadership to represent our caucus at a national behavioral health forum in Washington, DC this April. Collaborating with other legislators and mental and behavioral health specialists from around the country will be a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from others what worked and what didn’t. Bringing home proven strategies will put our communities and our state in a better position for finding solutions for this serious concern.
This is just a summary of what I will continue to work on; I would love to hear what you think our priorities should be. Please fill out the constituent survey on my website at housedems.ct.gov/Welander/2021survey and let me know what is important to you.