CTNewsJunkie Voter Guide Profile for Susan Johnson

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Susan Johnson

Running for State Representative

0 CTNewsJunkie Reader Endorsements

Party: Democrat

CEP Status:

Website:

Age: 70

Marital Status: Married

Current Residence: Willimantic

Current Job: Attorney

Previous Job:

Education: Juris Doctor

2020

What can be done to improve the business climate in Connecticut while COVID-19 continues to be a risk?

Everyone must work together wear face masks, socially distance from each other and keep everything clean. That will keep the numbers down and allow businesses to work through this pandemic. If the disease spread increases we will have a decrease in business opportunity.

With so much uncertainty ahead about COVID-19, how would you ensure that the people's business – both at the legislature and in all of our elections – will be conducted effectively, and with full participation, in the safest possible manner for the foreseeable future?

Follow the science to keep everyone safe.

With higher education facing major changes because of the pandemic, what steps will you take to make sure that Connecticut’s residents have access to college and/or other job training that won’t leave them tens of thousands of dollars in debt?

Create open choice early college opportunity free college credit classes in our urban high school districts. That way we will integrate our schools and provide college credit for free. This will increase college enrollment in the junior and senior years for students. It will also provide more qualified students to work in Connecticut's economy which requires a highly educated workforce.

What specific legislation would you support to reduce racism in Connecticut?

Education in k-12 regarding the history of African Americans, Latin Americans and and how all women have been discriminated against. We should integrate our schools by creating more magnet schools and open choice schools so our students know who we are.

What is one specific policy you support to help protect African Americans as an at-risk group during the pandemic?

Workers compensation should be presumed available to anyone who is an essential worker and came down with COVID-19 where the work place failed to meet CDC requirements. This would incentivize the businesses to make sure all protocols would be followed. If the business was able to show it followed protocols coverage would be denied.

Connecticut’s revenues will sharply decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and, unlike Congress, Connecticut has a balanced budget requirement. What changes would you make to balance the budget? (If you want cuts, be specific what will be cut. If you want to raise taxes, be specific about which taxes.)

The Connecticut Rainy Day Fund will cover the budget through June 30, 2021. We will not know until after the election exactly how much the Federal Government may cover or how much the state has really lost due to COVID-19. Once we have the numbers we will have to work on the 2021-2023 budget.

What should Connecticut do to re-tool our public health for COVID-19 and the possibility of future pandemics, while also addressing other chronic illnesses that put people at risk every day?

School buildings, nursing facility buildings and apartment buildings that share the same HVAC should be cleaned, have proper air flow and the filter type should be able to trap contaminants. Class room size should be come standardized. Virtual learning and telemedicine should also become part of how we operate on a daily basis.

How can Connecticut lower healthcare costs while also improving quality and access to care?

Connecticut can create a public health insurance option that will also allow participation by the private health insurance companies. Private and public universities should begin to manufacture generic drugs and sell them to state medicaid programs, private and public health insurance companies to reduce the premium costs.