News from Rep. Rosa Rebimbas

CSDE Seeks Public Feedback on Use of Federal COVID Relief Funds

The state's Department of Education will hold two public forums next week regarding the use of federal relief funds for Connecticut schools. The state has set aside $110 million from the American Rescue Plan and it is seeking input from educational stakeholders (parents/students) on how that money should be used.
This is a great opportunity to voice your concerns and to help improve the classroom experience for our children.
Here are the date's for the upcoming forums:

• Thursday, May 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, May 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Residents can also review CSDE’s Public and Stakeholder Input Form and submit written comment to the Department’s dedicated email address:
SDE.ARPESSER@ct.gov.

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House Republicans Offer Plan for Federal Relief Funds

The state is receiving substantial federal aid through the American Rescue Plan. Governor Lamont has issued a plan for how to spend that money, and on Tuesday my House Republican colleagues presented an alternative to his proposal.
Our plan focuses on infrastructure, the economy, and initiatives aimed at helping those most affected by the pandemic. For example, our plan includes using $400 million of the $2.8 billion allotment to allay pandemic-driven unemployment tax increases businesses could be forced to pay as they recover. Gov. Lamont, on the other hand, proposed an allocation of just $50 million. Most important, in an effort to avoid making the state's structural deficits worse, our goal is to avoid spending this one-time revenue on programming that requires future spending.

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CDC/Gov. Lamont Lift Mask Mandate for Vaccinated People

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors. In response, Governor Lamont announced that beginning next Wednesday, May 19, Connecticut will also lift its statewide mask mandate for fully vaccinated residents.
Also beginning May 19, all remaining COVID restrictions will be lifted, including capacity limits at certain venues. Bars that do not have food service will be permitted to resume indoor operations. In addition, state employees will be returning to their offices by July 1, with customer-facing personnel to return by June 1.
Over 70 percent of the state's adult population has now received at least one dose of the available vaccines, and that percentage continues to climb.

CDC/Gov. Lamont Lift Mask Mandate for Vaccinated People

On Monday, I was proud to present legislative citations to Chloe Murphy and Caroline Silva Oliveira of Cross Street Intermediate School for winning the 2021 Naugatuck Essay Contest.
The students wrote essays in honor of Women’s History Month using the prompt, “Important Women in Connecticut’s History and How Their Contributions to the State and Nation Affect Me”. Chloe wrote her essay on Harriet Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist and the renowned author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Caroline wrote her piece on Emeline Roberts Jones, the first woman to practice dentistry in the United States.
Congratulations to Chloe and Caroline and I thank all Naugatuck students who participated in this year’s contest! It is refreshing and reassuring to see young people taking a genuine interest in history and state government.

If you have any questions about these updates or any state government issue, please reach out to me via email or Facebook. I am always happy to speak with you and to serve as a resource for you and your family.

I also encourage you to share this information with anyone who may not be on my email list. Democracy works best when we are all informed.

Email: Rosa.Rebimbas@housegop.ct.gov