State Representative District 110

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Emanuela Palmares

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Party: Republican

CEP Status: participating

Website: www.emanuela2016.com

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Bob Godfrey

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Party: Democrat

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Website: RepBob.com

Age: 74

Marital Status: Single

Current Residence: Danbury

Current Job: Representative/attorney

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Education: BA, Fordham University; JD UConn

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What action(s) will you take to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and reduce the impact of the cost of prescription drugs on taxpayers and insurance premiums?

I would extend the cap on insulin prices to other common drugs. I support single payer health insurance or allowing anyone to subscribe to the state's health insurance system.

In these inflationary times, what will you do to help ensure that Connecticut’s middle-income retirees on fixed incomes are able to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets?

I supported the $600 million tax cuts that carefully targeted working families and seniors. Additional cuts, using surplus money, should be in order, so long as they are similarly targeted.

How do you plan to address the growing long-term care workforce crisis in the state?

Available jobs are more numerous than job seekers. Most of the jobs require advanced knowledge as well as talent. We should invest in our education system to ensure it is meeting the needs of potential employees regardless of age.

Gas prices are higher than ever, which is difficult for older adults on fixed incomes. Yet, alternatives to cars in Connecticut are limited. What will you do to help older adults access other forms of transportation?

I call it greed-flation. Big oil was hurt by the pandemic, and realizes its days are numbered, so they're unnaturally raising prices. I supported free busses; let's continue it. Let's accelerate improvements to trains. There is a challenge regarding electric vehicles, not the least of which are charging stations and high purchase costs. There is also the challenge of upgrading our electric system, too. I'm looking forward to collaborating with my colleagues on this issue.

What are the two most urgent problems facing Connecticut within the context of climate change and the environment, and what will you propose to solve them?

We must continue to reduce greenhouse emissions, both in what the state buys and consumes, and incentives for the private sector. We've made a good start, but need to work out more options to fossil fuels including solar, wind, and fuel cell technologies. Years ago I successfully introduced legislation to begin dealing with indoor air quality in schools. That needs to be revisited, including funding.

How can Connecticut's education systems create better outcomes for students in low-income communities?

Pedestrian deaths spiked a few years ago and remain high, and it's fairly clear that driver behavior, such as distracted driving, is only getting worse despite significant efforts by law enforcement to stop it. How can Connecticut's streets be made safe for pedestrians and bicyclists?

How should the state and its school districts deal with COVID-19 going forward?

Trust the science. Follow recommendations of medical professionals, the Department of Public Health, and the CDC.

What should be done on the state level to further address Connecticut's lack of affordable housing? Do you support, for example, mandating or incentivizing towns and cities to alter their zoning codes to be friendlier to affordable housing?

I prefer carrots over sticks and would gladly support incentives. But racism is the core obstacle to the lack of affordable housing, and sadly I don't have a solution for that.

What can be done to prevent excessive consolidation of the healthcare industry and the loss of services – or, in some cases, the loss of small hospitals themselves – in the state's rural areas?

Perhaps we need the equivalent of anti-trust laws for health care. I hate the very idea of turning health care into a commodity, and so do my constituents (one of which called a local hospital a 'meat factory' after some unhappy experiences). Health care needs to be about healing, not money.

Do you think the state's two major electric utilities (Eversource and United Illuminating) are sufficiently regulated? If not, what measures would you take to ensure that consumers are protected to the greatest extent possible against prolonged loss of services and unfair rate increases?

PURA works hard to mitigate rates, and keep them fair. But like everything else, costs for maintenance of the wires (remember, these two companies are not generators anymore) are increasing. I'm supporting more wind. solar, and fuel cell generation to, I hope, bring down prices.

What is your position on whether Connecticut should open its election primaries to unaffiliated voters?

The primary system is broken, taken over by extremists in the two major parties. I'd like to enact ranked choice voting in which all viable candidates are listed, and all voters participate.